October 2008

Little Matey's

Kati Oliver — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:58:12 GMT

Carson and Spencer both chose to be pirates for Halloween this year, probably because it meant they got carry their first weapon (big foam swords). I was feeling a little Martha Stewart-ish this year and decided to sew their costumes. My favorite part is their boots which are last years rainboots covered with black duct tape and embellished with a gold coin trim. Here they are in their mean pirate pose.

But mostly they are good sweet pirates

We had several people comment that Spencer's cast was a great accessory to the pirate costume, not knowing it was real. We just smiled; it saved us the 5 minute explanation. We first went to downtown Main Street to trick or treat to the businesses. It's a perk of living in a small town and is always so much fun getting candy from the feed store, library, City Hall, the local tavern, laundry mat, restaurants etc. We then had a potluck dinner with several families and then went out again bombarded the neighbors with 12 kids standing on their porch screaming for candy. When it came time to trick or treat Spencer hooked his candy bag onto his cast so that he had a free hand to choose the candy he wanted. Let's just say he came home with more candy than Carson and only went to half the amount of houses. We then went back to a friend’s house for treats, hot chocolate and to play a little Rock Band on the XBOX. Spencer totally got into rocking out on the microphone, guitar and drum set that he didn't even touch his candy bag.

Pumpkin Time

Kati Oliver — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:31:21 GMT

Tuesday we stopped by this house in our neighborhood that grows and carves some pretty big pumpkins, to gain some pumpkin carving inspiration. Can you imagine cleaning "the guts" out of pumpkins that size? Later that night the boys drew up some plans and helped carve some of their own. Spencer was insistant that his be a "nice happy pumpkin" while Carson didn't mind if his was a "little scary".

Tough Stuff

Kati Oliver — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:48:01 GMT

Last week our whole family traveled to California for Spencer's hand surgery. We arrived Saturday and laid low for a few days, we had been advised to keep him away from public places and other kids (aka-germs) so he wouldn't catch anything that would prevent his doctor from being able to operate. 5:30 am Tuesday morning Nick, Spencer and I drove to the Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco where he was admitted and taken into the operating room immediately. Nick was able to go in with him until they put him under with the gas mask. In my pregnant state of being I am much more emotional and queasy and I didn't want to freak Spencer out so I opted to wait. Nick says he went under without a fight or any crying. Then Nick and I waited 3 and a half hours while the doctor separated his hand bones, took a bone graft from his hip and inserted it and a metal device into his hand, used pins, stitches and a cast to hold it all together. We were then called to meet him in the recovery room where he would be waking up.

Playing before surgery & Getting some love from Mom in the recovery room

Just out of surgery he was not a happy guy (can you blame him) and was disoriented and in a great deal of pain. They gave him some heavy pain medication while I held him and he fell asleep again. Nick and I were a little shocked at the size of the cast. It completely encloses all of his fingers and goes all the way up to his armpit, much more than we expected. As superficial as it sounds I just kept thinking "how will I ever get his shirts over that thing?" An hour later he was transferred upstairs to the pediatric ward where the 3 of us would be spending the night. There he mostly rested and watched a whole lot of TV with the beloved blanket and all the free juice, popscicles, and crackers you can handle! He was really unhappy about the IV tube still being in his right hand and eventually the nurses had to wrap it up as well so that he would leave it alone, which left him with 3 good fingers to use. Amazingly enough later that afternoon he wanted to venture down to the playroom to check out the toys. Nick had to mostly carry him because of the pain in his hip. We just kept looking at each other shocked at his energy level and ability to so quickly adapt. Later Grandma and Grandpa Doll and Carson stopped by the hospital to say Hi and bring Spencer and new stuffed animal. I had been strong until they came; I guess every Mom still needs their Mom sometimes.

In the playroom 4 hours after surgery & Watching TV with the entourage of stuffed animals

That night was not a happy one; he crashed pretty hard and was inconsolable due to the pain and lack to sleep during the day. Luckily there were pediatric doctors on call who came in and gave him some morphine which took 20 minutes to take affect but finally did the job and he was able to sleep. It was very emotional for Nick and I to watch him feel so unhappy and in so much pain with very little we could do to help him. It especially weighed heavy on us that he is so young and we essentially made the decision for him. Although we don't doubt for a minute that it was right one we definitely feel responsible and wished there was more we could do.

The next morning he was released from the hospital and we drove back to my parent’s house where Carson and Grandma were busy in preparations for a "Welcome Home" party for Spencer. Just being with Carson again really did Spencer some good. Within an hour he was on the floor playing and hobbling around after Carson. Later that afternoon Tim and Brittany and kids came over for a BBQ and Spencer was out climbing on the swing set and trying to ride scooters, all about 36 hours after surgery!

Welcome home party & Wii bowling- only takes one hand!

Nick and Carson left Thursday afternoon while Spencer and I stayed until Sunday. Each day the pain seemed to diminish and the frustration level began to grow. He's having a hard time understand why the cast is still on, how long six weeks is and that nearly every task requires two hands. He is such a sweet little guy and for the most part taking the whole experience in stride. I must admit that the beloved blanket has been a lifesaver and gives him an amazing amount of comfort.

Finally last night Spencer and I came home and found love notes from all his Nursery friends on the front door. Today he returned to preschool, less than a week after his surgery (amazing huh?) and seems to be adjusting to life with one arm like a trooper. Nick and I marvel at his strong spirit and the love we have felt that Heavenly Father has for him. The whole process of finding a doctor and having excellent health insurance from Microsoft (his doctor, the hospital and anesthesiologist are all 100% covered) and the location of the surgery have been a huge blessing. We appreciate all the prayers,calls and well wishes from all of you!

Date Night

Kati Oliver — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:02:04 GMT

Dear Grandma and Grandpa Oliver,

Thanks for our date on Friday night, I loved eating at Red Robin and then going to see The Emperor's New Clothes at the Sprouts Theater. It made me laugh when the actors were running around on stage and the kids had to yell to tell them which way to go.

But I really liked going to Claim Jumper's and making my own ice cream sundae and beating Grandma at checkers! Thanks for the fun night and letting me stay up way past my bedtime! I love you!

From Carson

I Support Proposition 8

Kati Oliver — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:41:16 GMT

If you are a California resident, you have an important vote to cast on the ballot this Fall. No matter where you live, I encourage everybody to pay attention to Proposition 8. There are a couple of great sites setup to learn about what is going on:

ProtectMarriage.com

PreservingMarriage.com

The Divine Institution of Marriage

Even if you are not a resident of California this will have a major impact on the social fabric of our nation. We have contributed in a small way financially to support the passage of Proposition 8. I ask you to consider doing the same. Backers of the proposition have been very successful at raising funds from a very large number of donors contributing very small sums. Contributing can be done easily through the ProtectMarriage.com website.

We have not been California residents for almost 3 years, but if we were, our votes would be yes.

-Nick

Life with kids

Kati Oliver — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:06:20 GMT

Having kids just makes you laugh at times. . . here are some examples from just this weekend.

1. Saturday afternoon I took the plunge and cut 11 inches off of my hair (yes, mom "my one beauty"). Before I even left I warned the boys that I might look different since it's been pretty long over the past few years. I myself was in a little shock about how different it looked and felt, I lost nearly 4 pounds from the haircut alone! When I came home Carson saw it and told me I was a beautiful mommy (Nick has trained them well in this department). However, Spencer was in complete oblivion, this was the conversation that took place.

M: Hey does anything look different about me?

S: No

M: Are you sure? Look at my hair.

S. It's dark (wrong, I just paid a small fortune to get it highlighted)

M: Is it long or short now?

S: Long you should get it cut.

At this point he was done with the conversation and walked away and has had nothing else to say about it. Are you kidding me? I am hands down the one person he spends every single day with, how could he not notice a huge difference like this?!

2. This last week Spencer and Carson have been both been sick. Carson's has been able to turn his on and off when it's convenient. So last night at dinner I was trying to diagnose exactly what was sick about him. Here's how the conversation went. . .

M: So what's feeling sick? Your head, ears, throat?

C: Well mostly my head but last night when I was sleeping on the couch my ear hurt so I stuck my finger inside and something orange came out and I tasted it but it was gross so I wiped it on the carpet.

First of all I agree this sickness is all in your head buddy. Next, way too much information about the late night earwax tasting, especially at dinner. I'm glad that you feel comfortable enough to share with us, but I'd rather not know the details of all the gross stuff you boys do. And finally lets respect the carpet, didn't you see the pregnant lady steam cleaning it last week?

Looking up

Kati Oliver — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:13:39 GMT

It's amazing how much brighter your perspective on life becomes when you don't start and end each day with the overwhelming urge to puke. I'm currently at week 15 and most of those unpleasant first trimester side effects have passed for which I am grateful. I've finally been able to get off the couch and start running again, just a little slower and with a lot more effort than before. Yesterday I had an appointment with the baby doctor and heard the heartbeat for the first time. I've seen it several times on ultrasound before but there's a difference between seeing the tiny flicker on the monitor and hearing it. While the doctor was listening to the heartbeat the baby gave three sizeable kicks that could be heard through the Doppler. The doctor was surprised saying that movement doesn't usually register this early but that whoever was in there must be a soccer player in the making. Well whoever you are in there, we are just so happy to hear you are active and growing and look forward to meeting you in March.