Kicks and Giggles

An Announcement...

2011-12-21T10:08:00.003-07:00

Yes, that's right, there is going to be another little Gibby. =) It surprised us too. Everything is going well. I don't get sick, just tired and this time I seemed more tired than ever, but I'm starting to pull out of it. I am almost 16 weeks along. We are planning on finding out what we are having this time, one more month to wait!

Family Photo Shoot

2011-11-09T15:40:00.010-07:00

We have never done a real photo shoot before, we paid money for it and everything! We had a good time at a beautiful park in Cedar Hills and my friend Colette got some great shots. Here are a few...

I sure have good looking kids, if I do say so myself. =)

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T13:45:00.003-06:00

This is the only picture we got of Halloween this year. I made Nathan Buzz Lightyear wings out of a cereal box, a diaper box and 5 colors of duct tape and I made Audrey's Little Mermaid costume. Curtis and I were the angel and the devil from Kid History #4, and Claire was the cutest little black and purple witch.
We did a couple of Trunk or Treats and then they each picked out 10 pieces of candy before we set the bowl on the porch to have the Witch come. She took all the candy and left them a prize. Nathan got a train set to add to his Ikea set and Audrey got the Scripture Scouts Old Testament. Now I am happy and the kids are happy. Curtis is happy too, cause he gets to take the candy to work and keep it in his treat drawer.

Nine Years Ago...

2011-11-01T13:19:00.003-06:00

Nine years ago today, Curtis took me on our first date. We had already held hands and, yes, we had even kissed before he officially asked me out. We doubled with Curtis's good friend, John Ahern, and his fiance. Because of how comfortable Curtis and I were with each other, they were surprised to learn that it was our first date. We went to Doc's Pizza Buffet, because Curtis had a coupon there, and then to the dollar movies to see Bourne Identity. (Yes, I knew he was cheap when I married him.) =)

We decided to recreate our first date this year, so last Friday we hired a babysitter and headed down to Orem. We weren't too surprised to see the Doc's Pizza was out of business, Pizza Pie Cafe opened across the street, I think it was a hard competitor, so we went there instead, close enough. Then we saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was actually a heart wrenching story.

It was weird being in Orem, seeing all the young, dating college students, over hearing their struggles with roommates and such. What a different world we live in now. I'm so glad I dated Curtis and fell in love with him. He has been a wonderful, caring husband. I am a lucky girl.

I have this theory about first kisses, that you can tell a lot about how a boy will treat you by how he kisses you. Whether or not he with respect you, if he'll be compassionate and caring, or if he is just out to satisfy his own desires. I have limited experience with this, one boy who was just interested in what he wanted, and then Curtis who's first kiss was beautiful, thoughtful and gentle. What a difference. I could tell he was a keeper just by that first kiss. Can anyone else back up this theory?

A Trip to Washington

2011-10-17T12:31:00.003-06:00

My sister Becca moved to an old farm house in Camas, WA several months ago. I was glad when the opportunity arose that I could go visit her and help get some remodeling done.

We first painted and re-textured the family room walls, then we ripped out the 35 year old hideous carpet to find vinyl tiles stuck to the original hardwood floors. Who does that and why? I then spent 2 days on the floor with a blow torch and a scraper getting off that retched black tar paper. I got to use one of those big floor sanders for a whole day, we put up trim and then spent two more days staining and vanishing, sanding, varnishing, sanding and vanishing some more. You might think I'm crazy, but I had a lot of fun. I think Curtis was grateful that I was getting my remodeling bug worked out at Becca's house and on Becca's dime rather than on his. =)

Before

During

After

Claire turned one while we were there. She really enjoyed her fresh fruit with real whipped cream, mmm!

I loved the weather and the beautiful trees and wild blackberries in Washington. I didn't really want to come back to barren Utah, but the weather here has cooled down a little and I'm accepting that this is where I need to be right now.

12 Pictures for 12 Months of Life!

2011-09-24T14:50:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Claire!

We have truly loved having Claire in our family. She brings us so much joy and laughter.

This year went by so fast.

Cutie Patutie!

2011-07-21T16:03:00.003-06:00

I was actually able to create something during one of Claire's naps yesterday. I think it is so darling I had to share. The outfit is almost as cute as she is!

I found this plain pink diaper cover on clearance for $1.50 and added 2 inch ruffles (I burned the edges of a synthetic fabric).

I added the same ruffle to the neckline of a onesie and then made matching roses for accents.

She won't keep the headband on though.

Total cost: About $3.00

Oh Ya, June!

2011-07-20T11:04:00.004-06:00

Now that I looked at the pictures, I remember what happened in June.

I was raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, surrounded by beautiful forests. People seemed to treasure and treat them well up there, so when I moved into this house I didn't even look in the woods behind my house. I just supposed they would be a safe place for my kids to play when they got older. Much to my dismay, they had been used for dumping. Then when people kept adding to it I had to do something! I set up a day for a neighborhood park clean up and put flyers on everyone's door. I chose a bad day and not many people were able to come, but know I hope they know that dumping on city property is not ok! I couldn't have done anything with out my dad. He came and worked just as hard as Curtis and I all morning.

We hauled out three trailers full of green waste (thing people had dumped, even a whole tree! and their Christmas tree!) and one full of random big junk. We only made a dent in what is there, but we got the stuff right along the main trail that I could see from my kitchen window everyday.

My mother-in-law made me a "Fruit Cake" for my birthday and I loved it so much, I made one for my Dad's Birthday. Everyone loved it!

Curtis got his eyes lasered and has really enjoyed not dealing with contacts or glasses.

I made him a gift for Father's day. He keeps the frame at work to remind him of how much his kids love him.

The days it wasn't raining we were trying to remember to get outside and play. It has been an odd summer.

Busy July

2011-07-18T11:53:00.011-06:00

I'm not sure what happened to June, but we are having a busy July!

I won free tickets to the American Idol concert. It was a lot of fun to see them in real life, but this concert was not as fantastic as the U2 concert (though I probably don't even have to say that).

We went to the Gibby cabin with all of Curtis's siblings and had a great time just hanging out, riding ATVs, swimming and Curtis even got to golf!

We had a little scare when the ATV Audrey was sharing decided to try to go down a cliff. Luckily the driver was smart enough to aim for a tree. Everyone was scared but no one was hurt. We think Audrey squeezed the accelerator when we got a little nervous and the machine took off. We always wear helmets!

Curtis and I took at trip to Moab to celebrate our 8th Anniversary.

We stayed in a little camping cabin and took a rafting trip down the river (we used a coupon for the rafting and for dinner, hee, hee, we're so cheap). It was nice having a break and we are so grateful to my mom for watching the kids.

I painted Audrey's room pink. I started it on a Saturday and it took several weeks to find the time to complete it and her room still isn't completely put back together. She loves it though!

We also went to an extended Gibby camp out in Croydon, UT. Curtis's cousins, the Wildes, live and ranch there. They help with the annual Widow Maker dirt bike race where crazy bikers race up one of the steepest slopes possible.

We got to see piglets and bummer lambs.

Then we went on a ATV ride up Wilde Mountain (yes, they own it). It was beautiful.

Audrey started off riding with me. I heard a girl crying and looked ahead at Emma C., she wasn't crying. I looked behind me at Emma W., she wasn't crying. I couldn't figure it out, so I kept riding. Then I realized it was Audrey. She was still traumatized by the last ATV incident. She did a lot better in the ranger with the other kids.

We rode for 3 hours (about 2 hours longer than I had planned). We were dirty and burned, but had a great time.

The kids played with cousins, ate snow cones, watched a movie projected onto a screen hung on a big truck and had their fill of sweets.

Happy Birthday Audrey!

2011-07-18T11:32:00.004-06:00

Audrey turned 6 this year! Kids grow up so fast!

We got her a Razor scooter and she had her very first friend party.

She wanted a beach party in our backyard. Everyone that she invited came!
She had more presents to open than at Christmas!

They had a blast with the slip-n-slide, pool and trampoline. They also decorated flip flops.

She wanted a beach ball for her cake. It had rainbow swirls inside!

She got a free breakfast at Denny's with her dad and got a free pass to Boondocks thanks to a dad who is great at signing her up for free birthday treats. She loved the bumper boats!

I love you Audrey and am proud of the girl you are becoming. I love your sense of humor and how you are so helpful with Claire.

A Month in Pictures

2011-05-31T09:27:00.005-06:00

It's been one month since I've blogged, let's see what we did...

Curtis and I both Turned 30!

He got me an iphone, so now my boys sit like this all the time:

I got him U2 tickets!

We had an AWESOME time. My mom watched the kids for us. We didn't get home until 1:30am. I think concerts like this are for the young, we were wiped, but had a wonderful time.

We had a big birthday party. We filled our backyard with lots of friends and family. What a way to celebrate 30 years of life! =)

We fixed up all our bikes and Nathan earned a big boy bike! He does really well. In his words, he "rides around and around and around!" The weather has been so cold and wet all month that we have only been able to go on a couple of rides as a family.

We went to the school carnival where they had swings, bouncy houses,
cotton candy and shaved ice.

We discovered a new park in Alpine that has several parks designed to make you throw-up.

And it has a splash pad too. I'm sure we'll be visiting there lots if the weather ever gets warmer.

Though Claire is not quite crawling, she can get ANYWHERE she wants
and often gets stuck under the chairs.

I've started eating better again. I don't think I'll go as crazy as I did before, but I have ballooned since eating like most people do, so I know I just can't live that way.
Green smoothies are back on the menu.

Even Claire loves them and believe it or not Audrey has been requesting them.

I've also started making my own bread and grinding my own wheat. I found a K-Tec Grain Mill on KSL for $15. The whole family loves the bread I make. Audrey says, "Yes! You're making bread again!" The recipe I use is here: http://www.simplehealthytasty.com/2010/09/best-yet-whole-wheat-bread_07.html
Her whole blog is packed with great whole food recipes.
We have also been enjoying Bountiful Baskets.
And the kids love mangoes. I can't cut them quick enough.

I have cute kids and I enjoy being their mom.

Claire at 7 Months

2011-04-30T10:13:00.003-06:00

I just want to show off how cute my Claire Bear is.

She has started playing peek-a-boo on her own and she is very close to crawling. He favorite place to scoot is under the table. I have to sweep a lot more to keep the floor from becoming a snack bar for her.

She LOVES the piano.

I am a little sad about the fact that she is pretty much weaned. I had planned on nursing her for a long time, but because of the procedures and MRIs I had done, she got so used to the bottle and didn't want to work for her food anymore, so she got skinnier and skinnier and I started supplementing her more and more. She seems to be gaining weight really well now, though I haven't weighed her in a while.

I make my own goat milk formula because she doesn't like the store bought stuff and it is easier to digest. She is definitely my most tummy sensitive baby. My mom fed her avocado the other day and she loved it, but promptly threw it all up, whether she ate too much, had a little bug or it just didn't agree with her, I'm not sure. We'll keep trying.

I was looking forward to making her a couple more cute dress, but then I got out her 6-9 month clothes and counted 32 dresses, along with drawers packed full of pants, shirts and jammies. Gotta love hand-me-downs.

Audrey's New Desk

2011-04-30T10:03:00.005-06:00

I wanted to try my hand at refinishing furniture again and there was a perfect place for a desk in Audrey's room. I found an ugly little desk for $10 at DI and spent another $10 on paint, contact paper and stickers.

Before

After

We even organized all the coloring supplies. She loves it and has spent lots of time sitting, writing and painting. Oh and I found a pink swivel chair in the As Is section at Ikea for only $10.
She is one happy girl.

Easter!

2011-04-30T09:48:00.004-06:00

This year I asked the kids if they wanted candy and silly little toys in their Easter baskets or if they wanted one really nice toy. A little to my surprise and yet relief, they both wanted one nice toy. It made Easter a lot easier and they are both so happy with what they chose.

Nathan got a big Buzz Lightyear. "Like my friend Jacob!", he says.
And Audrey got a Lady Bug pillow pet.

Claire loves both. You can't beat a nice snuggly pillow and a new make out buddy.

The kids helped me paint and decorate these 2x4s. (My first Easter decorations!)

We also got to do 3 different Easter egg hunts, one with the Shefchik cousins, one with the Gibby cousins and one with all the neighborhood kids at the park next door. I planned the neighborhood one and it went really well. We plan on doing it again next year.

Alaura's Wedding

2011-04-30T09:29:00.002-06:00

My baby sister got married a couple weeks ago. Anther testament to how old I'm getting. ( I can't believe I'll be 30 in one week!)
She married her high school sweetheart 4 or 5 yeas after they started dating. Parker is a great guy, I know they will be very happy. She will never be bored and will spend most of her time smiling or laughing because he always has something fun to say.

Parker went from have no nieces and nephews to having 15 and a half!

The great thing about having a wedding at the Draper Temple is the huge sealing room, the bad thing is the wind! The gusts shoot right through the canyon making every day a blustery day up on the hill. The temple workers said Alaura's wedding day was the first day they had not had crazy winds, but it was still too windy and cold for my children's liking.

They whole day went really smoothly, just a little long for little ones, but that's to be expected.
Good thing snuggly Aunt Becca was there.

I wish you all the happiness in this world Alaura and Parker!

Easter Cookies

2011-04-24T21:24:00.003-06:00

This is the recipe for the Easter Cookies we made last night. The kids had a good time measuring, listening to the scriptures and finding the hollow cookies in the morning. They end up kind of like divinity. (Click on the image to make it bigger.)

Claire is 6 Months!

2011-03-17T11:13:00.003-06:00

I can't believe Claire is already half a year old. What a joy she is. It took a little time to figure out that she likes things just her way, right at the right time. If you know that and do that, she is the sweetest baby ever.

She is still quite skinny. Even with constant supplementing, she went down two percentile points and is now in the 2nd percentile for weight. The doctor said to keep supplementing and hold off on the solid foods since they don't have as much nutrients in them as milk. He's not too worried because she meets all the other milestones. She is a wiggle worm and though she's not good at directing her movement to get a specific toy, she is all over, rolling and pushing with her feet. She loves sucking on pickles and munching on Mum Mums.

Picture Wall

2011-03-17T11:06:00.003-06:00

I have been dreaming of putting up a picture wall for a long time and thanks to a DI trip with my mom and Curtis's help, I finally did it. I had a lot of frames and photos already, but I did buy and paint several frames from DI black and I love ordering pics from Costco. Here's the result.

Before

After

I still have plenty of room to keep adding some each year. I will just need a taller ladder.

Audrey's Suprise

2011-02-28T14:58:00.002-07:00

We surprised Audrey with a new bunk bed last weekend. She was so excited.

My Gift to Curtis

2011-02-28T14:34:00.005-07:00

For Valentine's Day I had all of our wedding pictures transferred from negative to digital. Here are some of the pics we now get to see all the time on our screen saver.

I love seeing these.

Nathan the Potty "Train"ing Boy

2011-02-11T14:28:00.002-07:00

This is how Nathan has been spending his time recently.

He has figured out how to put his Geo Trax together all by himself and I have figured out that if he is naked he usually doesn't have an accident. He runs into the bathroom by himself and does his business (even #2!), tells me and asks me for a mini-marshmallow. When I put pants on him it only takes a few minutes before I'm peeling the wet underwear off of him. I feel it's a good start.

An Early Valentine Present

2011-02-11T14:16:00.005-07:00

I got out of the habit of wearing my wedding ring when my fingers swelled a little toward the end of Claire's pregnancy. When I couldn't find it off hand, I didn't get too worried because I knew it was in the house, I just hadn't looked hard enough yet. But then when I did look hard and then harder and then even when my mom and dad came over to help me find it and it was still missing, I came to the conclusion that I may never see it again. That made me really sad. It was an heirloom and very unique. I soon wrote this as a Facebook post:

Ode to My Wedding Ring: Oh how I miss you, your unique beauty, your sparkle, your symbolism. How I long to have you back again. A replacement will always be just that, a way to fill the empty place where you used to be. Come back to me please. I promise to never take you for granted again.

Thanks to the generosity of my mother and aunts, I was given my grandma's ring. It is simple but still meaningful and very low maintenance, I don't have to take it off all the time in fear of hurting it. For Valentine's Day we had it resized and shined up.

I love it and I love feeling married again.

Cleaning a Room is Fun To Do!

2011-02-03T20:09:00.003-07:00

This is my favorite way to clean our family room.

Yes, that is a leaf rake. I rake everything to the center and then have the kids pick up an item and ask themselves, "Where does this go?" It goes so much faster than picking up one thing here or there and having them get distracted. My mom adds the threat, "Whatever is left in the pile, goes in the garbage!"

Notice the little purple baby ball. No I did not rake her up, but Audrey kept moving her around reminding me not to.

The Tooth Fairy

2011-02-03T19:54:00.002-07:00

Audrey's tooth finally fell out and the Tooth Fairy brought her the promised Zhu-Zhu Pet (actually it is a Furry Fenzy, same thing right?). So today we made it a tutu, a sleeping bag and a sling carrier (like a purse for Audrey to carry it around in). Now Nathan really wants one, so I said when he makes it all day without getting his underwear wet we will go buy him one. Day 3 and I have cleaned up more poop and pee than I care to. I think he's just not ready yet, but we'll keep trying.

Entertainment Center

2011-02-03T19:32:00.005-07:00

I have been wanting and looking for a new entertainment center for a very long time. Our tv was too wide for the stand and looked silly and our shelves were just cheap and didn't hide anything. When I saw just what I was looking for last week on KSL, I ran up to South Jordan to buy them.

Before:

After:

The skinny shelves on the sides hide all the DVDs and diapers, the kids books and large toys are in the lower cabinets and most of our books will be on the black shelves which we moved to our bedroom. Now I just need help "decorating" the new shelves.

Of course Curtis didn't feel we needed anything new at all, but he was still willing to help me move everything around. I think he likes how it looks now.

Venn Diagram for My Valentine

2011-02-03T19:18:00.003-07:00

I made this for Curtis, but can't really think of a way to use it, except to share it here.

In One Week...

2011-02-02T12:10:00.006-07:00

In one week I...
change 56 diapers
make 13 meals
wash 26 pots
say "Nathan, leave her alone!" 4809 times
do 4 loads of laundry
spend 29 hours holding a beautiful baby
load and unload the dishwasher 5 times
pick up 103 train tracks
get 27 hours of sleep
spend 18 hours breastfeeding
have 10 night time feedings
kiss Curtis at least 40 times
cut 80 fingernails and toenails (at least I should)
clean up 11 cups of spilled milk or water
get kids dressed 84 times
sweep the floor 6 times
check Facebook 16 times
start 3 different projects
finish 1
kiss 23 boo-boos
drink 35 glasses of water
go to the store at least 2 times
have a list of 41 things I should do, but don't
eat 1,647 calories too many
watch Toy Story 1, 2 or 3 or Cars 8 times
wipe 163 messy/snotty faces
...just to name a few.
No wonder why I'm tired.

And yet I know I am not out of the ordinary, so many moms do so much more.

FYI, I was interrupted 24 times before I finished this blog entry and 78% of it was written with one hand.

St. George

2011-01-23T21:38:00.003-07:00

We took a quick family vacation to St. George last weekend. Curtis's company owns a condo and allows the employee to use it when ever it is available. It was beautiful and fancy! I think the king size, four poster bed we slept in cost more than all our furniture combined.

We spent time swimming, playing at the Dixie (Pioneer Park), going to the Visitors' Center at the Temple and seeing Snow Canyon.

I was able to escape and get a massage at a school down there. I was thinking it would be so relaxing and calming, but it hurt like crazy! I am always so tight and she found right where all the knots were. I'm not sure how I feel about massages anymore.

The kids were so awful at church that three different old ladies came up to us afterward and told us we were doing a great job and not to give up. I just sighed deeply and politely smiled back.

The condo is a really nice perk and I hope we will be able to use again.

Claire's Growth

2011-01-23T21:17:00.003-07:00

In many ways Claire is growing up WAY TOO FAST! At 4 1/2 months she is rolling over and just cut her first tooth. She is smiley and loves to play with and bat at toys, desperately trying to get them into her mouth.

On the other hand, at her 4 month check up, the doctor was not happy with her growth. She is only 10lbs 15ozs. That is only the 4th percentile. He said if she was steady at a particular percentile, however small that might be, it would be just fine, but since she dropped from the 14th to the 4th in the last couple months, he is concerned she is not getting enough milk and suggested I supplement her after every feeding. I am worried if I do that I will start producing even less and soon will have to rely on formula. I have decided to start taking some herbal supplements and feed her more often. I hope it will help.

Audrey, 5 1/2, is very excited about the fact that her first adult tooth is coming in. It is growing up behind the baby tooth, but the dentist took x-rays and said to just have her keep wiggling it. The tooth gets looser everyday, but seems to be taking forever.

Nathan is 3!

2011-01-23T20:42:00.005-07:00

This little boy is now 3!
(Oh wait, he's not little, he's big! and he won't let you say it any other way!)

On his actual birthday we used his free pass at Boondocks. He had been looking forward to going for his birthday since we went for Audrey's birthday. He kept asking, "Can we go to Boom Blocks?" He was too little to do most of the free stuff, so we just spent the free coins and got some silly (I mean awesome) little prizes.

When we were searching for images to use in his newly decorated room (images to come) we kept seeing Thomas the Train cakes like these:
and he would say, "I want a cake like that!"

Well, I'm just not that fancy, so he got this instead:

I think it turned out great and he loved it, especially since he got to help decorate it.

We forgot to give him a gift on his birthday, so one Saturday we let him open two, a toy gun and a new bedspread, saving two for the family party on Sunday. We forgot them at home. Good thing he didn't seem to notice (we are such good parents, ha, ha). Luckily grandma got him footsies and Alaura gave him some toy cars.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

What I Did Today...

2011-01-06T12:34:00.002-07:00

While THIS was happening...

I did THIS...

Instead of THIS...

I hope Curtis won't mind. =)

A Couple of Christmas Pictures

2011-01-05T22:12:00.004-07:00

Just what she asked for!

Curtis's fancy graham cracker "house".

John and Shauna gave all their grandkids matching
"Gibby Athletic Club" t-shirts and a sports ball.

Nathan's "new" train table that I refinished and fixed up.
You can't beat free, even if it took a little elbow grease.

Christmas PJs from Grandma Judy

My Mother Taught Me...

2011-01-05T22:01:00.001-07:00

For those of you who know my mom, you will enjoy this poster I made for her for Christmas.

My Top Ten for 2010!

2011-01-05T17:14:00.011-07:00

This has really been an amazing year. When it started I had no idea the blessings it would hold.
Here are our top ten events of twenty ten.

10. We got chicks this spring and I enjoy watching the hens run around the backyard.

9. Audrey started kindergarten and is becoming a great reader.
We can no longer spell words we don't want her to hear us saying.

8. We had several wonderful visits from my sisters and their families.

7. My sister Zilpha moved back to Utah and is only about 7 minutes away from us.

6. We bought a minivan and can now watch movies on long trips and fit the whole family, plus two guests.

5. We have a new sister-in-law and a new nephew.

Kristi and Matthew

Gray

4. We took a family trip to Disneyland and had a wonderful time.

3. Curtis got a new job, close to home and they are treating him well.

2. I received treatment for CCSVI to treat my MS symptoms and I'm feeling good.
1. We had a beautiful baby girl and a beautiful home birth.

Elf Yourself

2010-12-23T15:59:00.002-07:00

Christmas Fun

2010-12-23T09:15:00.002-07:00

These are just a few pics of the fun we are having this Christmas. We are all so excited to open gifts and be with family this year. We have been having so much fun and staying busy with the cousins that are in town.

Who's the Boss?

2010-12-11T21:50:00.002-07:00

She is!

Plavix

2010-12-09T09:23:00.002-07:00

After I went to bed last night I realized I saw numbness and tingling and itchy skin as a side effect of Plavix. Maybe that is what explains the sensations I explained last night. I guess we'll see if they go away in a couple of weeks.

So here's a list of all the possible side effects. Sometimes it seems like the side effects are worse than the symptoms you're treating, but I'd rather have a little bit of tingling and tiredness than a blood clot.

Common side effects of Plavix Oral:

Acute Infection of the Nose, Throat or Sinus	Severe
Pain	Severe
Chest Pain	Severe
Large Purple or Brown Skin Blotches	Severe
Indigestion	Less Severe
Joint Pain	Less Severe
Backache	Less Severe
Dizzy	Less Severe
Flu-Like Symptoms	Less Severe
Head Pain	Less Severe
Stomach Cramps	Less Severe

Infrequent side effects of Plavix Oral:

Cataracts	Severe
High Blood Pressure	Severe
Atrial Fibrillation	Severe
Hemorrhage	Severe
Bronchitis	Severe
Bleeding of the Stomach or Intestines	Severe
Urinary Tract Infection	Severe
Feeling Faint	Severe
Visible Water Retention	Severe
Nosebleed	Severe
Heart Throbbing or Pounding	Severe
Trouble Breathing	Severe
Gout	Severe
Anemia	Severe
Depression	Less Severe
Inflammation of the Nose	Less Severe
Incomplete or Infrequent Bowel Movements	Less Severe
Eczema	Less Severe
Itching	Less Severe
Skin Ulcer	Less Severe
Leg Cramps	Less Severe
Chronic Trouble Sleeping	Less Severe
Low Energy	Less Severe
Numbness	Less Severe
Rash	Less Severe
Cough	Less Severe
Feel Like Throwing Up	Less Severe
Throwing Up	Less Severe
Diarrhea	Less Severe
Numbness and Tingling	Less Severe
Feeling Weak	Less Severe
Anxious	Less Severe

Rare side effects of Plavix Oral:

Retinal Hemorrhage	Severe
Hemorrhage from the Conjunctiva of the Eye	Severe
Pancreatitis	Severe
Eye Hemorrhage	Severe
Hemorrhage Within the Skull	Severe
Vasculitis	Severe
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura	Severe
Abnormally Low Blood Pressure	Severe
Interstitial Pneumonitis	Severe
Bronchospasm	Severe
Painful, Red or Swollen Mouth	Severe
Stomach Ulcer	Severe
Ulcer of the Duodenum	Severe
Ulcer from Stomach Acid	Severe
Inflammation of the Large Intestine	Severe
Acute Liver Failure	Severe
Hepatitis	Severe
Acute Inflammation of the Pancreas	Severe
Glomerulonephritis	Severe
Kidney Disease	Severe
Abnormally Long or Heavy Periods	Severe
Inflammation of the Skin with Blisters	Severe
Erythema Multiforme	Severe
Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis	Severe
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome	Severe
Hallucination	Severe
Abnormal Liver Function Tests	Severe
Life Threatening Allergic Reaction	Severe
Giant Hives	Severe
Allergic Reaction caused by a Drug	Severe
Allergic Reaction causing Serum Sickness	Severe
Acquired Decrease of All Cells in the Blood	Severe
Low Blood Counts due to Bone Marrow Failure	Severe
Decreased Blood Platelets	Severe
Deficiency of Granulocytes a Type of White Blood Cell	Severe
Decreased White Blood Cells	Severe
Decreased Neutrophils a Type of White Blood Cell	Severe
Confused	Severe
Skin Disease Characterized by Swollen Itching Lesions	Less Severe
Muscle Pain	Less Severe
Fever	Less Severe
Taste Problems	Less Severe
Collection of Clotted Blood in an Organ, Space or Tissue	Less Severe

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-09T08:34:00.003-07:00

Curtis made a MatchtheMemory.com game for our Christmas letter this year. This has been an awesome year and this quick game goes over some of the highlights. Go to matchthememory.com/gibby2010 to play.

You can even make one of your own for free! Enjoy!

2 Weeks, 2 Days

2010-12-08T21:02:00.005-07:00

I hope you all aren't getting too tired of these little updates, but I just keep feeling a little bit more normal everyday and I want to share.
The past four days I have not been achy! My shoulders are still tight, but I am not hurting. This is such a relief! Yesterday I had the young women over at my house for the weekly activity, so I had to clean my house. I swept and mopped the floor, I did the dishes, cleaned up the family room and even crafted quite a bit. Normally after doing just one or two of those things, along with the busyness of having 8 twelve-year-olds over, I would have been completely useless and exhausted, but I wasn't! Sure I was tired, though not exhausted and my body didn't ache and I still made dinner, cleared the table and was able to put the kids to bed without being grouchy and then Curtis and I watched a movie.
My bad days are as good or better than my good days were and my good days are a little more what I would consider normal each day. Still no more headaches, but my ears have felt some pressure behind them (cold related I hope?).
One thing that does concern me a little is I feel a little tickling on my foot, my hand, or on my scalp (one area at a time, not all at once) a couple times the past couple of days. I don't normally have this sensation, so it leaves me scratching my head a little, no pun intended. (hee, hee)

11 Days Post Procedure

2010-12-03T16:16:00.006-07:00

Since my Liberation Procedure I have been feeling pretty good. I am not a new person, but I do feel a difference. My optic neuritis pain, that has bothered me the last three months, is almost completely gone. My almost everyday headaches do not happen anymore, I had one on Thanksgiving, but so did Curtis, and I had one on Monday, but I'm pretty sure it was sinus related since a had a small cold with stuffiness and a slight sore throat. It is so much easier to be pleasant to my kids when my head is not throbbing. I feel I am also thinking clearer.

I am not bounding with energy, though I had hoped I would be. I did read that one of the main side-effects of Plavix is excessive tiredness, so I do have hope of feeling better when I am done with it in a couple weeks. Time will help and if I could get Claire to sleep through the night it would help too.

I had my yearly MRI on Wednesday. My neuro called and said I have no new lesions and all of my old ones are smaller. That was great news. It would be so exciting if this procedure help prevent anymore, ever! =) My sister Alaura is scheduled to get a venogram/possible angioplasty on December 22nd. I am so excited for her. Though she has CCSVI, she does not have MS and this will hopefully make it so she NEVER does.

No You Get Out!!!

2010-12-03T15:45:00.002-07:00

This is what happens when you have two kids but only one bucket.
I ended up having to hide the bucket to get them to stop.

If you got this blog entry as an email for the first time, it is because I added you to my list. If you don't want to be on it, or if you want to be added to the list just let me know.

More Observations

2010-11-24T08:50:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I noticed how crisp, clear and bright things are. If you would have asked me before the procedure if the sight in my right eye was somehow dimmer, I would have said no. It is subtle, but there is a difference, like switching from a normal TV to a high def TV. I have also noticed a slight improvement in my left eye, nothing miraculous, but I think it's a good sign that my eye will improve over time. Also I have climbed the stairs today without really noticing. I used to feel like there were rubber bands attached to the bottom floor and every step got harder and harder and when I made it to the top I felt I needed a rest. I didn't even think about the climb when I got to the top today, I just went on with my business. These are small things, but encouraging. The big miraculous thing will be having the progression stop! That would be incredible and allow me to live an amazingly normal life.

I tried to take it easy yesterday, but with three kids it's hard to do. My incision got really sore by the end, but it feels fine now.

I will be scheduling my MRI and MRV today. I haven't had one since my diagnosis and the MRV will help the doctor see how well the repair went. I'm not really looking forward to another 48 hours of pumping and dumping. It is so much easier to just feed her, plus my pump doesn't work very well.

Improvements

2010-11-23T09:00:00.004-07:00

I noticed two things last night that I feel point to proper blood flow. Several times a day my ears would ring, for seemingly no reason, they have not rung since the procedure! Also, every night as I layed there trying to sleep I would feel and hear a strong pulse in my head. I tried to hear that last night and I couldn't! Even laying very still and listening very quietly, all I could feel was the very slight beat of my heart, just as it should be.

Liberated and I'm Feeling Good!

2010-11-22T16:39:00.006-07:00

I went into the hospital at 8:30 this morning to have angioplasty on my veins. Everything went really well. The doctor did a very thorough job of looking at all of my cerebral veins again and took lots of pressure measurements to make sure all was open and flowing as it should, which meant a lot of holding my breathe. He found that my jugular vein wasn't narrowed as they thought. He said the other doctor must have had the catheter up too high in the vein and caused the reflux that he had seen. The azygos vein was narrowed though and he did balloon that area.

At one point during the procedure I felt a lot of pressure and some pain in my chest, I mentioned it and they said they were ballooning it right then. They put a lot more catheters in and out this time, different lengths and sizes and I could feel them being more rough. That is pretty much the only place I am sore right now, just above my leg where they were inserting it.

I'm not sure if I feel any different yet. The sedation and anesthetic made me pretty tired and I have been trying to take it easy today. I think only time will tell. My mom made the analogy of unwatered, brown grass. Even after you have watered it, it still takes a week or two to green up again. I do feel a little clearer, not in eyesight but in awareness, if that makes sense, but I haven't tried to do much and it has only been 7 hours.

I am on blood thinners for a month. I have to inject myself with Lovenox twice a day for a week and then take Plavix for a month. The doctor checked and said both are ok for breastfeeding.
They are expensive meds, over $1,000 just for Lovenox, but my insurance paid for all but $250. I've never injected myself before, I hope I can do it tonight.

Two Month Check Up

2010-11-19T13:46:00.004-07:00

Claire had her 2 month doctor's appointment yesterday. She is little, coming in at 9lbs 9oz. The doctor is not concerned because she is well proportioned and meets all of the cognitive mile stones. He even says she seems advanced and cautioned me that she might end up being an early walker.

They clipped her tongue yesterday, she screamed for a lot longer than a newborn would, poor thing. I should have had him do it at the first appointment, but she is fine now. But she is constipated, it's been almost a week since she's pooped and I just started feeding her a little bit of watered down apple juice to get her to go.

She is so sweet. We all love her so much.

My Next Venogram

2010-11-11T12:33:00.004-07:00

I talked to Dr. Hatch yesterday. He said he has been studying my images and found my jugular vein is significantly narrowed right at the valve at the top of the vein. He didn't notice it at first because it is common for valves to be narrower than the rest of the vein, but not this much. He also found a couple places in my azygos vein (the one that drains the spine) that are narrowed and can be opened also.
It is good news that he found something to fix. My next venogram is scheduled for November 22, the Monday before Thanksgiving. I plan on taking it easier this time during recovery. The last venogram through me for a loop. I should feel better within a week or two and hopefully I will have more energy and stop the progression of MS. Wahoo!

3 is the azygos vein.
I guess mine isn't nice and smooth like that if it has a couple of narrow spots.

First Captured Smile

2010-11-11T12:28:00.002-07:00

I finally caught a smile on camera. Not a great one, but cute. It is hard to get good pics of babies.

I also made her some leg warmers. I wrote about them on my craft blog: buzzaboutbaby.blogspot.com

8 Weeks Old Already!

2010-11-08T10:15:00.005-07:00

These past 8 weeks have gone by so fast. We are really enjoying our Claire Bear. She has smiled at us everyday since she was 5 weeks old, though we haven't caught one on camera yet.

Yes, she is in our bathroom sink in this picture. And the blow dryer is on, resting on the counter. It is the only way I can put her down without her crying while I get ready in the morning.
She loves to be held!

She is a little girl, I'm not sure how much she weighs, I'm guessing right around 10 lbs, but she doesn't fit any of the 0-3 months clothes yet. And the big news is that she slept through the night for the first time last night! Just yesterday I told my sister-in-law that she wasn't ready to do that yet. Maybe just hearing that it was possible helped both Claire and I to not get up in the night. I hope she keeps it up.

We haven't been getting many pictures of her. Just busy with three kids I guess. I am surprised she has slept on her own this long to allow me to write a couple of blog posts.

A Toy Story Halloween

2010-11-08T10:01:00.003-07:00

Audrey and Nathan knew just what they wanted to be for Halloween. We found a Buzz Lightyear costume online for Nathan, but I couldn't find a Jessie costume for less than $40, so I started making Audrey's costume before Claire was born. It took me 6 weeks to finish it, half an hour here and there. I found it is quite hard to accomplish anything with a newborn who loves to be held.

I had cow fabric left over, so I thought it would be really fun to make a vest so Curtis could be Woody.

Claire was Little Bo Peep

And I was Barbie from Toy Story 3, well my interpretation of her outfit.
There was no way I was going to wear a spandex body suit.

It rained like CRAZY during the neighborhood trunk or treat. When we got home Audrey said, "I'm slopping wet!" The trick or treat buckets were full of water and the candy was sticky and soggy. I don't think the kids minded.

On Not Feeling Well...

2010-11-08T09:32:00.002-07:00

Tuesday after the venogram I was tired, but I felt ok. Wednesday I took it easy, had a slight headache and was still tired. Thursday I felt my head was going to explode. The pressure in my head was bearable, but worse than I had ever felt it and my fatigue was awful too. I spent the whole day laying on the couch. Feeling blah for weeks before, because of night time feedings, and feeling even worse for a couple of days made me really worry about the future and I ended up quite depressed on Friday. I kept thinking about how my children are so amazing and precious and how they deserve a mom who has the energy to play with them, who doesn't yell at them for having fun and being loud, just because it is overstimulating to her. They deserve a mom who can dance at their wedding and can come and be helpful when they have children. My grandchildren deserve a grandma who can enjoy and play with them. I don't want to be in a nursing home when I am in my 50's like my aunt. Audrey would only be in her early 20's and Claire would still be in high school. That's not the life I want for them.

I know that is not a good way to think, to dwell on what might happen. It is hard to feel bad when you have a degenerative disease, because you end up wondering if this feeling is a progression of the disease and if you will ever feel better again.

I do a lot better on weekends when I can be with Curtis and other people. Curtis and John (my father-in-law) gave me a priesthood blessing last night. I am feeling better, both physically and emotionally. I'm trying to keep my chin up. I am trying to be patient as I wait for the doctor to come up with a solution to fix my vein. It is my hope for me and my children, so I can be the mommy they deserve.

The Results...

2010-11-03T09:12:00.002-06:00

The venogram went smoothly. They were able to see that my left jugular vein was blocked. All of the blood flows back over to the right and goes down. This makes sense because my vision problems and the slught numbness I feel is on the left side. The problem is that the doctor did not see an specific narrowing which he could easily do angioplasty on. He is not sure what is causing the blockage, so he didn't do anything. He will be consulting other doctors and his partner Dr. Black is going to a convention this week for the National Association of Phlebotomy where Dr. Zamboni will be the keynote speaker, so there will be lots of people to ask. When he knows what to do I will have the procedure done all over again.

It was a pretty easy procedure, not much pain or recovery. To insert the catheter into my veins, they used a large needle right at the bend of my leg, more towards the front. When they said groin I thought it would be down between my legs, but it wasn't. They gave me a general anesthetic and sedation. I was half asleep for most of it, but could still answer questions and hold my breath when they asked. I could feel the catheter in certain places as it moved through my veins, there was a bubbly sensation that went with it. They kept me for an hour after to make sure I was ok and then I walked out, like nothing had happened, just a little sleepy from the drugs. They said I couldn't lift anything that day and to take it easy the next.

I have to "pump and dump" for 48 hours so that Claire doesn't get any contrast through my breast milk. She is taking a bottle just fine and thanks to a friend who had plenty of milk stored in the freeze, she is drinking mostly breast milk. Curtis fed her all night and let me sleep in another room so I could get a full night's sleep. It was so nice.

So I have CCSVI! That is good news and more proof the Dr. Zamboni is right. It is just a little disappointing I am not "liberated" yet.

I was asked how I heard about Dr. Hatch. There were actually two sources. First I found this (http://www.hubbardfoundation.org/CCSVI_multi-centered_registry_locations.html) website that lists doctors who are doing the procedure. I emailed them and they sent me these names:
Ogden, UT- Sandra J. Althaus

Provo, UT- Carl Black

Salt Lake City, UT- Peter B. Hathaway

And then my "blogging friend" Toby posted about Dr. Hatch here: http://mamawithms.blogspot.com/

She went to Costa Rica to be treated, but her sister is have the procedure tomorrow with Dr. Hatch.

This is all so new, Dr. Hatch has only done the procedure a handful of times for this specific reason but has done the procedure a thousand times for other reasons. There is still so much to learn, but I am excited to be part of it. My sister A has an appointment with Dr. Hatch next week. She has not been diagnosed with MS, but has fatigue issues and has a lesion on her brain, so we kind of suspect it. How amazing would it be for her to have her veins fixed before any real problems occur!

The Liberation Procedure

2010-11-01T15:10:00.002-06:00

I have very exciting news, life changing news! I found a doctor here in Utah that is doing the Liberation Procedure and I am scheduled for the venogram/angioplasty on Tuesday, November 2nd. Tomorrow!

This procedure is still experimental, but so many people with MS have had amazing results by having angioplasty to open their jugular veins. The theory of CCSVI is that MS, which we have always called an autoimmune disease, is actually caused by improper blood drainage from the brain.

I am so excited to feel better!

I want to write down the symptoms I am having right now, not to complain, just so that I can compare them with how I feel tomorrow, a couple months from now and years down the road.

A big one for me is fatigue. (Exaggerated by feeding a newborn throughout the night.) I tire pretty easily, I am lucky when I have the energy to make dinner when evening comes around.

Brain fog: I feel like a lot of my thoughts/words/names have to get through a maze before they come out of my mouth. Audrey often finishes a sentence for me and at times I have to use several sentences to explain the one word that I can't come up with.

Light numbness: Usually only in my pinky or pinky toes, it is just a weird/not quite right feeling, not really numb. I have a feeling that this could eventually spread to my ring finger, then my middle until my whole hand feels that way. This feeling is only at times, not always.

I have ringing in my ears quite frequently. If I am lying in bed and everything is quiet, there is always a constant light buzzing sound. I think this points to reflux or impaired blood drainage from my brain.

Optic Neuritis: My eye was mostly better until the last couple weeks of pregnancy, but now it is as bad as ever, with mild aching behind it.

Headaches: They are mild, but last for hours when I have them.

Achy, tingly shoulders and upper back. My whole body yearns for my shoulders to be massaged. They are always so tight.

For having MS, these symptoms are nothing. I can't image what my aunt has dealt with all these years. The procedure is giving me hope of not having to find out for myself.

I will let you all know how I feel tomorrow after I am liberated. Wahoo!!!

Claire's Blessing

2010-10-17T11:46:00.003-06:00

We blessed Claire on 10-10-2010. 10 being the number of perfection, it really was a perfect day. The weather was beautiful and all our Utah brothers, sisters and grandparents were able to come. We had a wonderful time visiting with everyone and celebrating Claire's birth.
Curtis gave a beautiful blessing. He blessed her with strength to withstand wickedness and to be a voice for the Lord for good.

Grandma and Grandpa Shefchik

Grandma and Grandpa Gibby

Great-Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen

Nathan with 2 of the 7 cousins that came

Showing off my new haircut. My uncontrollable hair was really stressing me out, so I chopped it all off and I am really liking it.

Claire's Photo Shoot

2010-10-17T11:35:00.004-06:00

Some good friends of ours came over when Claire was 10 days old and did a photo shot of her. They turned out so cute. I kept forgetting to post them here. There is also a slide show of them on Youtube:
Claire's Photo Shoot on Youtube

She is so sweet, we are so blessed to have her. She is a good eater and an ok sleeper. It is hard to get her to take a nap during the day and she wants to be held all the time, but don't all newborns?

The First Week

2010-09-22T14:47:00.003-06:00

I can't believe our Claire Bear is already more than a week old. She has been so sweet and the kids love her so much. She is a good eater and a good sucker, already starting to enjoy a pacifier.

I am recovering well. I feel better now than I did the last couple months of pregnancy. It is so good to have my body be my own again, even if it isn't the same.

This is a picture of her hair. I know it doesn't look like much, but for us it is a lot. Nathan says, "I have blond hair and her hair is dark!" Not sure where the dark hair came from either.

We were trying to get a picture of her tongue tied mouth in this picture.
She didn't like it very much and you can't see it, but it is pretty significant and it will be cut at her first appointment to the pediatrician.