The Great American Road Trip!

I don't know if any of you have heard about this on the news, but 1 of the 3 drivers is my brother Adam. Good luck guys!

---Allison

What a Year!!!

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Today is Ethan's 1st birthday!!

In anticipation of today, I've spent a lot of time reflecting on our experiences this last year. As many of you know, Ethan was not a "planned" pregnancy. However, we were very excited when we found out I was pregnant and we truly felt like he was a gift from God. Initially, I doubted my ability as a mother to raise 4 children but I felt that God would not send me another child if he didn't trust me enough to raise and care for him. It wasn't until Ethan was born that I realized how much responsibility my Heavenly Father has entrusted me with. I can't put into words how blessed our family has been to have Ethan in our home. When he was born, our family was complete.

I've created this montage in honor of Ethan who has worked so hard to make his mark in this world. As I have mentioned before, it is a little long (about 10 minutes). The first 2 songs in this montage are extra special to me because I used to play them in the hospital while I sat at his bedside and stroked his tiny head. (At the time I couldn't hold him and it was the only spot I could caress that didn't have protruding wires or tubes.)

I will never forget all of the prayers, love, and support that was given in our behalf during this last year. I want you all to know that we couldn't have done it without you. I pray that together, we will have many more years to celebrate.

I hope that you take the time to watch and honor this amazing milestone with us.

---Allison

Daily Grind

So now that the vacation is over, I've really been trying to get the house in order so that I can get some spring cleaning done. Spencer and Emily started back in school today which should help. As most mothers know, it's hard to get anything done when the messes keep following you.

I am hoping I can get it in pretty good shape by Thursday, so I can take that day off and enjoy it. Believe it or not Ethan will be turning 1 that day! We have been so blessed this year that it is hard to express in words. Because of this, I've made (another) montage. I know you are probably getting sick of them by now, but you can't do it for just 1 child without doing it for the others. This one however is different. It will tell the story of his first year and is longer than the other ones (about 10 minutes). We've had a big year and it was hard to compact it into just a few minutes. So with that being said, watch for it on Thursday.

We celebrated Tim's, Emily's, and Ethan's birthday's (along with a couple of others) on Sunday with my extended family. We had a BBQ and a nice evening of cake, presents, and visiting. I am sure we will do something special on Thursday to recognize Ethan and his journey. I am not sure at this point what we will do but we definitely need to celebrate. First birthday's are always fun and important, but due to the circumstances, this one just seems extra special. Anyway, enough stalling, I need to get back to getting the house clean. I hope today finds all of you well.

---Allison

Texas Pics

This is at the stockyards when they are taking the bulls out for a stroll. This is one of the things we liked to do when we lived in Texas. The bulls are fun to see but there are also some tourist shops that we were able to get some fun souvenirs in.

Spencer and Gavin are having a fun time "shooting" the bulls with their play guns that they bought at one of the tourist shops. Gavin was really getting into it.

We went to Matt's house (Tim's brother) for a day of visiting, water games, and of course a great BBQ. It was fun to sit outside in the warm sun and let the kids run around in the country. Gavin got bit by some fire ants but it didn't seem to slow him down for very long. Ethan loved sitting in this swing.

While in Texas we stayed at Tim's parent's house. I was on the computer when Gavin found these glasses on the desk. I am pretty sure they belong to Larry. I think Gavin thought he looked pretty cool.

The night before we left, we had a birthday party for Emily. Tim's family were very generous throughout our entire vacation as well as at Emily's party. She got some fun gifts. Again, it was nice to spend time with all of Tim's family.

There were so many other fun things that we did while we were in Texas that I didn't take my camera to. We spent a fun night at my friend Donna's house with her family and another friend of mine, Stephanie. I worked so much the year that we lived in Texas, the only friends that I made were people that I had worked with. I have to say, these 2 women are AMAZING nurses and I have the utmost respect and admiration for them. To this day, I try and remember their example to me as leaders. It was so nice to visit and reminisce. There are just some people you never forget.

I don't know why I didn't bring my camera here but we went to the Fort Worth zoo which was SO fun. Emily loves white tigers and was really excited to go see the one they had. Gavin had never been to a zoo before and I don't think he understood that there were REAL animals there. The look on his face when he saw the animals for the first time was priceless. It was a look of awe and excitement. It just so happened to be the monkey exhibit and they were entertaining to watch. Also at the zoo was a bird exhibit where the kids could feed the birds. The birds would fly all around them and then sit on the food sticks they were carrying to eat the birdseed stuck with peanut butter. All of the kids had fun doing this. Although, I have to admit it was fun watching Gavin chase the birds trying to get them to land on his food stick. He was laughing and laughing and obviously had a great time.

Tim and I, Spencer and Emily, and Ashley and Katie (cousins) went to Six Flags. Tim's sister Rachel was kind enough to watch Gavin and Ethan the entire day for us. Again, I wish I had taken my camera but I thought it would be a pain to carry around. Emily's first amusement ride EVER was the Titan. It was 25.5 stories high and went 85mph. She got off and was on an adrenaline high! She was jumping and throwing her arms in the air with shouts of approval and glee. She is such a dare devil. She was crying when there were a couple of rides she couldn't go on because she was too small. In fact, we left the park to go to lunch at Poncho's (an all you can eat Mexican restaurant). On the way back to Six Flags, Emily states she doesn't feel well. Can you see where this is going? We were looking for parking when she began hurling in her lap. She began crying, not because she didn't feel good but because she didn't want this to keep her from going back to the rides. Tim and Emily went home to get cleaned up and then met back up with us later that evening. Spencer on the other hand has announced that he is not a "thrill seeker" and so he preferred the smaller rides. I kept up with the kids pretty well, but I have to admit, toward the end, I began to get motion sickness on the bigger rides and would stay back with Spencer. All in all, it was and amazingly fun day.

We had a great time and the kids all want to go back soon. We have decided that we can commit to going at least every other year to visit. Gavin asked Tim just this morning if we could go back to Texas for "a sleepover". I wish it was closer. We can't wait to go back.

---Allison

Happy Birthday Emily!

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Today is Emily's 7th birthday. It seems so crazy to me how much she has grown. She is an amazing girl. She has such a spunky and fun personality. She is not afraid of anything and knows what she wants. She is very sweet and tries to please us. She is great with Ethan and I know she will be a fantastic mommy one day. I am so blessed to have her as my only daughter. We love you Miss Em!

---Allison

A Little Fib

So I have to admit, I made a little fib. When I mentioned (a couple of posts ago) that Tim's airline arrangements had been messed up, it applied to our whole family. I didn't want to post that our whole family was going to be out of town for 9 days (and that there would be a nice empty house to target). So with that being said, we just flew back into Salt Lake this afternoon after spending some much needed time off in Texas.

First of all I have to say we all had a great time. We played at parks, went to the zoo and six flags, went to the Rangers game, visited the stockyards, had BBQ's, celebrated Emily's birthday (which is this Wednesday), and spent a lot of time just visiting with family and friends. The weather was great (with the exception of 1 night of severe storms and Tornado sirens wailing which just added to our adventure). The weather was in the 70's and 80's the whole time and we all got our share of the sunshine. We had a wonderful time.

I can't say that getting to Texas was as much fun. When we were leaving SLC, we had put the 2 older kids in charge of a couple of bags, only to find out while waiting in line to check in that the bags were left in the car. We called my mom to bring back the bags and Tim left the kids and I to go and meet her. I kept on going just to keep things moving along. It took a long time to get through security because they placed the kids and I in a glass box with a security guard while they went through all of our carry on bags. The kids and I finally made it to our boarding gate with literally 1 minute to spare. However, because we were the last ones there, we didn't have any seats on the plane because they had over booked the flight. I seriously about started to cry. Luckily, they were able to get enough people to volunteer to stay behind that we were FINALLY able to get on the plane. It was only after we had our tickets in hand that Tim was able to meet back up with us with the carry on baggage that had been left behind and missed all of the drama. Once we got on the plane, our flight was great. The kids did really well and Ethan slept most of the flight. It's nice to say that our flight home was smooth and there was not much drama.

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who support us and keep up on our day to day happenings. I will post pictures when I am done unpacking.

---Allison

No More Meal Tickets

I've been weaning Ethan from breastfeeding for the last few weeks now. And I have to admit that I've been really looking forward to finally having my body back. I NEVER lose weight while I breastfeed and I try to not take any medications. This has been especially important with Ethan because I didn't want to have any medication interactions between the meds he is already on and any that may pass through my breast milk. Recently, He hasn't been happy about my decreased milk supply which is part of the reason why he has been so fussy at night. However, He was sick a week or so ago which was kind of the clincher as to the decline of my milk supply and the end of our breastfeeding days.

So, anyway, I just got Ethan down for a nap and I think this is the last time I will ever breastfeed him again. You might think this is great news but, surprisingly, I am sitting here in tears. I know, I know, you all think that I am crazy. I've always felt a little sentimental with my other kids when I was done nursing. But there has always been an equal amount of excitement to balance it out. However, with Ethan, you have to understand that not only do we plan on him being our last child (which it's always a little bit harder when you think it's your last), but, when he was born this was literally the ONLY thing that I could do for him. It was so hard when I couldn't hold my baby, I wasn't sure if he knew who I was, he didn't yet know my smell or voice, and I didn't feel I could comfort him in any way. I couldn't even do the small things for him like change his diaper.

I had been told by some of the doctors not to be surprised if my milk never came in due to the stress of our situation. I remember becoming very determined to do this ONE thing that nobody else could do for my baby. I religiously pumped every 3 hours and I would even set the alarm to pump in the middle of the night. I really worked hard to make it happen. It was only after much persistence that his doctors even let me try and breastfeed just a few days before he was discharged from the hospital. Usually heart babies can't breastfeed because they tire too quickly and don't get the nutrition they need. However, I think Ethan and I made a great team. He is (to date) the only HLHS baby to ever be discharged (post Norwood surgery)without a feeding tube.

I promise, I am not one of those le letche--shove it down your throat kind of women. I only breastfed my 1st 2 children for 4 months, and although I did breastfeed Gavin until a year old, it was mainly because HE liked it so much (and it did save us some money). Now, I obviously agree that breastfeeding is what is best for the baby but I completely think it is the mother's choice in what she feels is best for her and her baby. But with that being said, this was VERY important to me to give him the best nutrition possible under his circumstances and to help keep him from getting sick through the winter months and his 2nd surgery.

I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to feel like I did something that mattered to him. I will miss feeling like he needs me.

---Allison

Thursday, April 10th

So today started out with a bang. Last night we found out that Tim's flight on American Airlines was cancelled and we were up until 2am trying to figure out his options. (We finally were able to get a flight with Delta the next day.) When we were finally able to get to bed, Ethan woke up. He was very restless, he was crying, and of course he was tossing and turning in our bed for the next few hours trying to get comfortable. I finally took him into the living room around 5 am so Tim could sleep since he had to work in the morning. Ethan was up for about 45 minutes before he and I finally fell asleep on the couch. I then had to wake up 2 hours later to take Emily to the dentist to get a tooth pulled. Which, by the way, she did really well with.

Those who know me know I LOVE my sleep. How long do you think I can keep running on 3, maybe 4 hours of choppy sleep? Now don't misunderstand me, It's not that I can't do it (I've done it many times before) but who wants to? So, the day has just begun and I am already exhausted. I still have to get our laundry started, (which there is a mountain of), go to a 2 hour staff meeting, figure out a way to get Emily to her soccer game while I am gone, and do a service project for Scouts tonight. Also, Lost is on tonight, so I have to make sure there is time for that, Yeah! (I hope it's not another re-run). I am hoping that in between all of this I can maybe catch a nap. Do you think the laundry could wait until tomorrow? Anyway, it's not going to be a bad day (I promise I KNOW what a bad day really is), it will just be a busy day where I simply go through the motions and hope things run smoothly. Wish me luck!

---Allison

Sunday, April 6th

I just wanted to let you know of a sweet little baby who has captured our interest and hearts. Her name is Gracie and she is just over 2 weeks old. She has HLHS just like Ethan but has ran into some major setbacks. She has an amazing family who have kept their faith and have had to make some difficult decisions. Gracie is currently defying all the odds. Although she is not out of the woods by any means, she is currently stable which is a miracle in and of itself. Gracie and her family could use as many prayers in their behalf as they can get. You can read their story through the link titled "Gracie" under our "heart friends".


---Allison

Old Look Again

OK, so as you can see I've reverted back to my original blog look. I still haven't found anyone who can show me how to change my background to a cute one and still keep the sidebar pictures and widgets. Oh well, I guess it really doesn't matter much anyway.

So as far as the home front goes, we are are still just trying to get over the colds that we've all had for the last week. Up until last night, Tim has been superman and hasn't been sick. But it seems that it may have caught up with him and he is now starting to feel a little yucky. I hope we can all get over this soon.

On a funner note, we finally finished our bonus room this week. We got carpet on Tuesday and the kids just love running around in a big open room. It has been really nice because they are off track and get bored easily. It's still too cold to go outside and play, so this is a welcomed new play area for them.

Well, this is my weekend to work, so my entire goal today is to try and get a nap in. It's been a bad week for sleep. With the exception of last night (I got to bed around 11pm), I haven't been asleep before 1am and once it was 2am and one night it was even 3am. The reasons for no sleep are all different but it has usually been because either I was sick or Ethan was sick. It's hard to sleep when you are stuffed up and can't breathe (or coughing, or a sore throat, you get the picture).

I hope that this weekend will be a fun one for you all. Take care.

---Allison

Happy Birthday Tim!

So today is Tim's big 35! (of course I have to point out that he is now halfway to 70, ........ yikes!)

For all of you who know Tim, I don't have to go into great detail about how amazing he is and how well he treats (and spoils) me. He has a sharp mind and a kind heart. He is thoughtful, hard working, funny, balanced, sensitive, patient, and grounded. He is truly one of a kind and I could never have dreamed of having a better husband to share my life with. Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

I love you!!

It's Going Around

So I guess this house is full of a bunch of sickies. Ethan started running a fever Wednesday night (101.1 axillary) which really concerned me. His oxygen levels were in his "normal" range but low for him (79-82%). His respiration's were high (60's - 70's) and his heart rate was also high (160's). He had a cough and a yucky nose and just wasn't feeling good. So, I called his pediatrician (at 10:30 p.m.) and she said just to let the dose of Tylenol that I had just given him have a chance to work. She said that if he continued to breath this way when the fever broke or if his fever wouldn't come down, that I should take him to PCMC's ER. Luckily, he responded well to the Tylenol and I just watched the clock faithfully until it was time for his next dose.

Even though he was looking and acting better the next morning, I still took him into the doctor's office just to make sure there wasn't something more going on. I was pretty sure it was just a virus because all of the other kids have had mild coughs, sore throats, and congestion, but none of them have had a fever. So, again, I just wanted to set my mind at ease that there wasn't ear infections or pneumonia or whatever else that could be going on. Well, to say the least, it was just a virus and he seems to be doing better today. He doesn't have a fever anymore and he is just mainly snotty and clingy.

Now, when Gavin woke up from his nap today, he said "I'm not feeling very good" and sure enough he has a fever. Also, Emily came home from school today and went to sleep. I wouldn't be surprised if she too woke up with a fever. I guess we'll see. Hopefully, we can just all get feeling better soon.

So, with all of that being said, our insurance denied Ethan's last RSV shot. They said it is no longer RSV season and they wouldn't pay for his last dose. We did have the "option" (ha, ha) of paying for it out of pocket with a price tag of $2800.00. This really frustrates me because RSV season is NOT over and Ethan has been sick recently with respiratory issues. Anyway, we appealed it and our Dr. spoke with them and they still denied us. I was REALLY wanting to get that last dose which would cover him while we traveled and until the RSV season was officially called by PCMC. It's kind of crazy that the insurance company can over rule our physician and the care she feels Ethan needs. What can I say? I guess I should be grateful that he got the doses that he did.

I hope that all of you out there are doing and feeling well.

---Allison

Gavin, Gavin, Gavin

What a beautiful sight. I sometimes don't know what to do with this precocious (yet very sweet) little child.

We have been finishing our bonus room above our garage and so there have been a few small tools left here and there around the house. I honestly put them "up" when I find them. The only problem is that Gavin is a monkey and will climb (literally) to the top of any shelf. He gets into the pantry, the closets, the cupboards above the washer and dryer, and he can also get anything on the top of the fridge. He also knows how to unlock any door (from the outside). This morning before Tim could even get to work, Tim had already caught him trying to cut the cords to Spencer's PlayStation system. And just yesterday (I think), I caught him putting my keys into the power socket (which by the way, I have protective covers in, he just takes them out).

Well today, I was walking down the hallway when I heard my bedroom door slam shut. Of course, when I tried to open the door, Gavin had already locked it. When I finally got it open, I asked him what he was doing. He proceeded to pull out a screwdriver from behind his back. I took it away and didn't think much of it as I didn't see any immediate damage.

A little while later I had gone outside to get the mail. Upon returning inside the house, I was looking down at the mail and saw some screws on the floor. After further inspection, it turns out he had been taking off the light switch covers in the living room and hallway. Honestly, I am not an absentee mother. I really don't know how or when he does these things.

Well, to say the least, he was put in time out and told to take a nap (see the beautiful picture above) which I think I needed more than he did.

---Allison

Poor Baby

This weekend was my rotating work weekend. My shift went really well and I was excited to come home and get in bed. When I sat down to feed Ethan, I looked at his face and he looked like he had been beat up. I took him in the bathroom so I could see him in the light and he wouldn't open his eyes. They looked like they could be oozing but he also had a crusty nose that the drainage could have come from. Well, I knew that it was most likely an eye infection, but because of his last appointment and all of the small things that were just a little off, my mind began to race and I started to panic a little. They have always told us to watch for puffy eyes and signs of retaining fluid as this could mean he is going into congestive heart failure. Well, these were definitely puffy eyes. So, I called PCMC and talked with the cardiologist on call and they said just to see our normal pediatrician when their office opened and rule out conjunctivitis before we brought him into the ER.

I took him into the office as soon as it opened (I've had only 2 hours of sleep at this time since working my 12 hour graveyard shift). I am glad I didn't take him into PCMC because after he woke up and I could see his eyes, I was pretty sure that it was simply an eye infection. They were really red and they were definitely draining icky stuff.

After he was assessed by the doctor, she felt comfortable that it was just an infection as well. (He weighed 19lbs 10 oz on their scale). We were given a prescription for eye drops and sent on our way. I was supposed to go back into work tonight but they were nice enough to take me off of the schedule so I could get some sleep and take care of Ethan (and to also enjoy Easter).

He is so sad to look at. You can tell he just isn't feeling well. He is very fussy and just wants me (and only me) to hold him. I am so glad that I didn't have to work tonight. Tim would have really had a rough night. Let's pray these eye drops work soon!

---Allison

Study Visit

Ethan, Gavin, and myself just got back from PCMC for one of Ethan's follow up visits for the study drug (enalapril) that he is on. It was an easy appointment (no lab draws or x-rays) which is why I even attempted to take Gavin along.

They took his blood pressure which was a little high for him (114/60). It could be high simply because he's outgrown his dose. The study nurse will call us tonight after shes given the cardiologist all of his new statistics and let us know if we need to increase any of his blood pressure medications. One other thing is that his sats were only 83% on room air. We don't have to have him on oxygen unless his percentages drop below 80% but when he is at home he usually sats between 87-89%. I haven't monitored him in a while since he has been doing so good. But, when he wakes up I am going to check his oxygen levels on our monitor and see if it makes a difference or not. Also, at this appointment he weighed 19lbs 5oz and was 28.5 inches long.

*Update- His oxygen levels were 88% on our monitor at home*

I take him in tomorrow to get his last synagis (RSV) shot. I am curious to see how much he weighs on their scale. When he got his last shot (4 weeks ago) he weighed 19lbs 3oz. I am hoping that he is gaining more that a couple of ounces in a month. If he really hasn't gained much weight, it could be because he is becoming more physically active. He has been crawling around now for a couple of weeks and easily pulls himself up on anything. So it may be that he is simply burning more calories. I hope that's the case anyway. I hate to think of the alternative which is that is heart is starting to lose function. There are also times in the last couple of weeks where he will breath heavier and faster. He is not in any distress, but he just seems to be winded at times. I mentioned it to the study nurse today and she said not to worry, that it was probably due to him exerting himself more. Regardless, it is something I will definitely keep an eye on.

As part of the drug study that he is in, there will be another sedated echo when he is 14months old as well as a full developmental testing. I will be anxious to see what the results are. I am hoping that his tricuspid valve is doing OK and that his heart function is still looking good. I guess until then, we will just watch and wait. I hate waiting. When anything is even a little off, my mind starts to wander and I just want to know that everything is OK. Overall, his appointment today was fine, it just bugs me that his pressures are up and that he is not gaining much weight (and that his sats are lower than usual but I will double check this before I get too concerned). Both of these things can be explained and fixed but I just want to make sure that nothing is missed and these aren't pieces of a bigger picture. I guess the moral of this story is that you can't get great news all of the time.

I don't want to sound paranoid. He really is doing great for what he has to deal with. I just want to make sure that nothing goes unchecked. Thanks for all of you out there. We appreciate all of the love and support.

---Allison

Rock Star Material?

We were getting ready to go to my parents house yesterday. Gavin had been told to "go get dressed". Well, he comes walking into the kitchen wearing NOTHING but a mismatched pair of my socks with his sandals. I couldn't stop laughing! I HAD to take a picture. I obviously wasn't going to take any compromising photos, so I had him hold the guitar so I could take his picture. Well, he then started "jamming" to no music which made me laugh even harder.

He wanted me to keep taking pictures, so I had him put on some of his underwear. He was really getting into his guitar groove. (Remember, there is NO music playing). He is SUCH a character. You make me laugh Gavin!

By the way, potty training is going great! He has turned a corner and now only wants to wear his big boy underwear and just last night he even told me that he "didn't want to go poo poo in his underwear" and then he walked himself to the bathroom.

---Allison

Happy Birthday Gavin!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Today Gavin turns 3! We had a party for both Gavin and Spencer last night. This is such a fun age for birthdays. Gavin was SO excited to open his presents. He woke up wanting to play with all of them this morning.

Gavin is a one of a kind kid (aren't they all). He is my most physically strong and athletic child. He is very smart, very sweet, very precocious, and VERY busy. When he gets into trouble he just looks at you with those big blue eyes and then flashes you one of his flirtatious little smiles. He knows how to charm you out of a punishment and becomes very offended if it doesn't work. He really looks up to Spencer and wants to do everything that his brother does. Gavin has a very special place in my heart as well as in our family.

Just like I did for Spencer, I created a short montage in honor of Gavin. You can watch this by clicking on the "play" button. The song in the montage was Gavin's "song" when he was just a baby.

Happy Birthday Gavin. We Love You!!

---Allison

A Big Day

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Today is Spencer's 11th birthday. It is also my 12th wedding anniversary. I don't know how it happened (well, I know HOW it happened, but that is not what I am talking about) that Tim and I were married at 1:00pm and 1 year later we gave birth to Spencer at 1:01pm (1 year and 1 minute after we were married, crazy!). But it did happen and now this means that today is a very special day.

So because today is a special day, I just wanted to let you all know how lucky I am to be married to such an incredible man. He is handsome, intelligent, sweet, patient, loving, and supportive (I could go on and on but you probably would get jealous, he-he). Now, I don't have my head in the clouds, I am also fully aware of his not so nice qualities (Love ya stinky!). But the truth is, we compliment each other very well. He knows the REAL me and loves me in spite of my many, many shortcomings. He is an AMAZING man and I am extremely lucky to call him my husband. I love you sweetie!

Also, I am very lucky to have Spencer. He is a grounding force in this family and has always had such a good heart and soul. I made a montage as a tribute to him for his birthday. I don't have a scanner and digital cameras weren't around when he was little. So, there aren't too many small pictures of him. It's really too bad because he was such a CUTE kid. Anyway, if you are interested, you can click on the link and watch his montage.

---Allison

Is Change Good?

OK, so I tried to get a cute template but I can't figure out how to do it without erasing everything from my sidebar (pictures, maps, etc.). In the process of doing this, I messed up the one I had been using. So anyway, by the end of my quest for a cute blog, this is what I ended up with. It is very basic and I am not sure if I like it. So, what I need from all of you is either your opinion or your expertise (or both if you have them). Your expertise would come in handy if you know how to get a new template without having to start all over with the widgets on the sidebar. Your opinion is needed because, frankly, when you visit our page, you have to look at it too. So my options are going back to the original "dots", leaving it how it is now, or finding someone smarter than me. Anyway, please help!

---Allison

Look Who's Big!

Gavin has finally decided that potty training is not the end of the world. A few days ago, Tim had bought him some Twinkies for when he would go potty in the toilet. It did the trick. We don't want him to have more than 1 a day, so I also bought some small treats to motivate him throughout the day. So far, he has done pretty well. Yeah Gavin!!!

Gavin LOVES baths and will do almost anything to have one. On this particular day, it meant having a cold one. He got undressed, found a few toys, and then ran the water himself. He did have the concept of both hot and cold being turned on, however, the hot was not on enough. But by the looks of it, he didn't seem to mind. My little guy is getting too big. I can't believe he turns 3 in just 1 week.

---Allison