Trent 6 months old

Trent is now 6 months old!! Today he has been wearing his helmet for a week and it seems to be going well. He's had a few rashes on his scalp where his skin is adjusting and he's getting used to wearing it 23 hours a day. One thing Trent is lacking is his desire to roll over. I've been giving him lots of tummy/floor time lately and he seems perfectly content to just play with his toys or lay with his head to one side and fall asleep! We've tried showing him what to do and "help" him out. He's just not interested! He IS beginning to sit up on his own more and gets around the kitchen in his walker. It's these big smiles that always brighten our day!!

Tummy time!

Trent LOVES his siblings and is always belly laughing at their silliness

We have had a busy week as we're getting ready to leave for vacation tomorrow. It just so happens that we have planned a trip with my parents and brother to Salt Lake City months ago.. now, it is convenient that we are going tomorrow because Trent has a helmet appt. in the afternoon. We will be camping with my family at the Lagoon campground until Tuesday and, doing things throughout the day: 1 1/2 days at the Lagoon amusement park, zoo, water park etc.

This last week has been spent getting things ready to go.... cleaning the camper, laundry, packing, food preparation, doctor's appts, working in the garden and Tys has an ear infection that has made him slightly grumpy (slightly is putting it nicely!) He is now on antibiotics and is much happier today.

Grandpa and Grandma Haveman

Grandpa and Grandma Haveman stopped by last night for a visit; they're on their way to cousin Philip's wedding in Iowa. We had a great time with them! And, this was the first time they got to meet the boys. Tys was a little shy at first but that lasted only minutes.. he was soon showing off and teasing Grandma Great with his blankie. Katie also hadn't seen them in a long time and they couldn't believe how much she'd grown! Trent with his Grandpa Great!

The whole gang!

After showing them the site of our new house and dessert, Grandma Great got to read the kids their bedtime stories. Funny that they each chose long, search 'n find books! About an hour later they were off to bed.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to Casey and my two dads! The kids and I are so thankful to have such wonderful men in our lives! After church this morning we had my parents, Judy & Ken and Marisa over for lunch. My mom made an awesome chicken and shrimp meal and we had a great time of visiting. While the boys napped and Katie played with Marisa, I asked Casey how'd he like to spend his afternoon. He chose to go "site in" his AR-15 with Joe :)

Trend and his Papa. Today he is wearing his helmet for 2 hours then, an hour break... so, this picture was taken during one of those hour breaks.

Trent's helmet

We arrived home from SLC this afternoon and everything went well! The boys did great in the car yesterday morning however, not so great coming home... they were pretty much sick of their car seats and wanted OUT! But, they survived (and so did mommy and daddy!) We met with the helmet specialist yesterday afternoon and went over everything that's required for his helmet. Over the next 5 days he'll work into the helmet slowly and by the end will be wearing it for 23 hours a day. It's taken off for his baths, swimming and if he has a fever. During the time that it's off I will clean the inside with rubbing alcohol and dry it before putting it back on him. We also have to watch out for something they call "red spots" on his skin. The helmet itself (Star-band brand) is pretty pliable and the left side can stretch open as you put it on then, velcroes closed. So far he doesn't even seem to notice when he's wearing it! Trent is SO happy to be home again!

Last night we were able to stay with Casey's Uncle Don and Aunt Arlene (actually second cousins) We had a wonderful evening visiting with them and Tys loved their backyard! They had just arrived home from vacation themselves and were so kind to have us in their home last minute!

Tys exploring in the backyard

I weighed Trent today and at 5 1/2 months, he weighs 19.5 lbs. So far he's still just a little bit smaller than Tys. At 4 months old, Tys weighed 19.4 lbs.

One last picture of Trent before he gets his helmet tomorrow! The weather was SO beautiful today... we've had so much rain lately I had almost forgotten what the sun felt and looked like :) I did lots of laundry and packing today... getting ready to leave tomorrow. And, while I did that the kids had a great day playing outside. Trent and I did go outside in the late afternoon and evening... he wasn't too sure about the grass and liked being in his walker much better.

"I don't want to ride for 5 hours in my car seat tomorrow"!!!

Tys' new favorite thing to do is swing on his belly!

Just 2 more days until we head to Salt Lake for Trent's helmet. It really feels like we were just there... but I had better get used to it since we'll be going every 2 weeks (and again next week) But, hopefully, that'll make the whole process go faster and it'll be over before we know it. He was SO happy to get a new toy from Nana last night! Actually, I thought he looked sort of evil in this picture :)

We have all been fighting sickness since Sunday and are just now feeling better today. I started it with a cold, high fever, body aches etc. on Sunday. Then, passed it along to everyone else (because sharing is the right thing to do, eh?) I was actually pretty miserable and don't remember having that high of a fever in a long time. I was happy when Casey arrived home from work Sunday evening and was able to help me with the kids. Then, he was sick (although not as bad) on Monday and we both sort of "gimped" around taking care of the kids. It was actually kind of pathetic! Thankfully, Trent and Katie just had runny noses and, we were able to keep Tys' cold and fever under control with medicine. The good thing was we were able to get caught up on watching a few movies. There are MANY new movies that I haven't seen yet but, just don't have the time to sit for 2 hours. Unless, the kids are in bed and then, I just fall asleep! And, we hardly ever go to the movies anymore for 2 reasons: 1. the nearest theater is 50 miles away and 2. my husband cringes and begins twitching at the very thought of spending $8.50 a piece on movie tickets! lol Anyhow, we watched Taken (after the kids went to bed) Nights at Rodanthe and Night at the Museum (I know, the second movie is already out and I hadn't even seen the first one yet!) So, that's been our week thus far. I now have a lot to do in the next two days before going to Salt Lake.....

Trent may not be rolling yet but, he can get himself around! He does this thing where he wiggles his body and scoots around by pushing his legs. It's pretty funny :) Oh, and he's found his toes!

Good friends... good times

The kids and I had a great week/weekend( too bad Casey to work most of it ) We spent quite a bit of the week at our friend's, Judy and Kens, house visiting our friends, the Thomas', who were here from CO for the week. They have 6 boys and 1 girl, Patience, who is Katie's age. Add all of our church kids in there and there were kids/adults EVERYWHERE throughout the week at the Cox's. Katie and Tys LOVED playing with their friends and it was so amazing to see them all playing so great together. Each night they went home completely exhausted! I also enjoyed visiting with Alyssa and John and, our friends that I see throughout the week but sometimes don't always have the time to actually "sit and visit". Here are a few pictures from throughout the week.... Trent with his buddies, Josiah and cousin Will

Katie, Marisa and Patience... playing in the big water trough/swimming pool! This was in between rain showers... and at times, that didn't even stop them.

celebrating Christian's birthday last night

Happy birthday Christian! He looks very amused with all those rabbit ears :) My raggamuffin daughter is on the far right... we are missing a few kids in the picture but, this was pretty much the core group of kids throughout the week

Tys hanging out with his Uncle Joe... this was towards the end of the day and Tys was SO tired!

A beautiful view of the rainbow! It was been raining off and on, everyday, this whole last week. We also had a great visit with Matt's mom and girlfriend, who came down from Boise for the weekend. On Friday night I made dinner for "the guys" (Joe, Micah and Matt) my parents and Justine and Sandy. Then, Justine stayed with us for the two nights that she was here. We definitely have had a busy week but, it was all so much fun! Thanks Judy and Ken for letting us all hang out and feeding us :)

Now, I'm looking forward to relaxing tomorrow and hopefully, getting rid of this nasty cold that's settled in my head. AND, the construction should begin on our foundation this week!!

rain, rain go away

With all this rain we've been having lately, we've been doing lots of indoor things: baking cookies, cleaning house, playing princesses and catching up on Dora the Explorer. Also, yesterday we got to spend time at Judy and Ken's house and, visit with our good friends, the Thomas' (who are here from CO) It's been so nice to see them again and, Katie has had a great time playing with their girl, Patience (they also have 6 boys!). I realize all this rain is good for the ground and, Nevada has probably never been greener, however I'm starting to worry a little about our garden. The seeds that haven't come up yet aren't getting the chance to dry out and soak up any sun. Instead, they are sitting day after day in puddles of water... so, I'll be surprised if they make it! Anyhow, my parents came over for dinner and ice cream tonight. Here they are with the kids... it's so hard getting ALL of the kids to look at the camera at the same time AND smile! The kid's new favorite song is "rain, rain, go away... come back another day"!! And, Katie informed me yesterday that it's been raining "forty days and forty nights"... glad to know she's been listening to Mr Doug in Sunday school! I should've took it as a "sign" when Tys and Katie were trying to build Noah's ark with their daddy's wood a couple of weeks ago :)

Miss Princess John Deere

On Monday my mom sewed Katie this pink John Deere summer dress. It was one of those easy patterns where the dress is pretty much already sewn (the top is gathered elastic and the bottom is already hemmed) and all you have to do is measure it around Katie and sew up the sides. That's MY kind of sewing... quick and easy!!

Katie showing off her new dress.. she even found a pair of yellow princess heels to match

Katie and Trent ~ for some reason Trent was looking a little grumpy!

Trent has been enjoying the new foods we've been giving him lately. So far he's had squash, carrots, green beans, pears, bananas and his usual nightly rice cereal. Too bad he won't take a bottle as easily! We've tried all sorts of ways to get him to take a bottle (different types of bottles, formula etc) but all he does is cry, whine, play with the nipple, spit out the milk and eventually fall asleep from exhaustion!! I have a feeling he's going to be like Katie... skip the bottle and go straight to a sippy cup.

Monday morning

With their sister at Nana's house, the boys are spending some good quality time together this morning! I can't believe how fast time flew by last week and here we are again, beginning a whole new one! Even though it rained off and on over the weekend (and pretty much since last week) we had a good one. On Saturday we went to our cousin Amy's 8th grade graduation bbq at the park. The kids always love playing with their friends and, Katie got to ride on a see-saw for the first time :) Yesterday we had covered dish after the morning service then, in the evening we all went over to Judy and Ken's for pizza and homemade ice cream. Casey has been working nights since Friday....
The weather is finally looking good this morning - clear and sunny skies. My mom and I are planning on getting some weeding done in the garden (all this recent rain has really helped those weeds grow) and taking the kids for a bike ride. But first, I have lots and lots of laundry to do this morning!

more pictures

Here are a few more pictures from our trip... they're all of Trent! Even though we really missed Katie and Tys, it was also great to have some one on one time with Trent. He is such a joy and so easy going! Hanging out in the hotel room

We did some shopping on Tuesday, after Trent's appointments. We spent a couple of hours in the biggest Cabela's I had ever been to! It was two levels with more animal displays than your typical Cabelas... we got a late lunch there. Also, we bought Tys his first Cars fishing pole and a much needed EZ-UP shade tent (since our one only lasted just one trip to Angel Lake before falling to pieces!)

Trent and Casey at Cabela's

Showing off his big smiles

Trent and I hanging out on Tuesday evening at the hotel, after having dinner at the Olive Garden. We also went to the hot tub (Trent hung out in his car seat) and watched some t.v.... very relaxing after a busy day with the doctors and shopping.

Never mind me in this picture - I'm trying to lift Trent up. What cracks me up is his goofy face! He's already learned how to stick his tongue out for the camera!

On our way home we stopped just outside Wendover at the Bonneville Speedway Salt Flats. I had been there many times before while growing up but, now have a deeper appreciation for it after watching the movie The Indian.

Trent didn't care too much for the salt flats because it was so bright outside and he didn't get to have any sunglasses! However, he WAS happy to get out of his car seat for a little while.... It was great to be home again and see the kids! When I told Katie that Trent was going to get a helmet soon she happily exclaimed "Trent is getting a helmet? Wow! Now he can ride a bike"!!!

Trent's doctor visit

We arrived home safely from Salt Lake City this afternoon and, it's been a very long day so I'll just give a quick update before heading to bed. Then, I'll post a few more pictures from our trip later. Casey and I left for SLC on Tuesday afternoon... we were going to leave Wed. morning but the doctor's office had called and asked us to come in Wed. morning. This way we could meet with the helmet specialist as well (if needed) Casey was able to get off of work around 2pm and the drive there was rainy but, uneventful. My parents stayed with Katie and Tys while were gone. WEDNESDAY ~ First of all, we stayed in a VERY nice area of Salt Lake, called Draper. Everything was high class (expensive sports cars and 3 level houses everywhere!) and I was happy to see two malls, the Olive Garden and Super Target all just around the corner from our hotel :) Anyhow, we met with the doctor (who specialized in adult plastic surgery and craniofacial pediatrics) and immediately liked him. After checking out Trent he recommended that we get a helmet for Trent due to the abnormal way that the right side of his head is forming as he grows. Basically, it's like the back right side of his head is pushing everything forward, causing his ear and forehead to also be pushed forward. On a scale of 0-10 ( 0 is normal, 10 is severe) Trent was a 7. This doesn't affect his brain at all however, is cosmetic and will just get worse as he grows. It is hard to see the abnormality in pictures but is definitely there! So, with a helmet this will reshape his head and we are catching it at a good time. After meeting with the doctor, we then saw the helmet specialist. Trent's head was scanned and measured for his helmet. We will go back to Salt Lake in 2 weeks to get the helmet then, we'll be going back there every 2 weeks after that (except for the initial 1 week check up after we get the helmet. It just so happens we were going to be SL that week anyways for our trip to Lagoon with my parents) We'll go every 2 weeks for the next 3-4 months.... it's about a 5 hour drive one way! Yes, lots of driving for just a short check up but, the helmet clinic seems to be very accomodating and will fit us in no matter how busy they are. I am thankful that no surgery will be involved and also that the seams in his skull are fusing together ok (another concern we initially had) I will post more about our trip soon.... Trent was so happy to be out of his car seat and was stretching out on the hotel bed

A few change in plans for our trip to Salt Lake. Trent's doctor's office called this morning and said the helmet specialist is going to be at the office tomorrow (this only happens once a month.. isn't God's timing perfect?!) and if we can be there in the morning then they'd be able to get Trent in to see the specialist for his helmet fitting (if he does need a helmet) This eliminates a possible additional trip to Salt Lake.... So, Casey and I will leave for SLC tonight, after Casey gets off work.

tractor

We've been pretty busy lately with just everyday stuff... which means I haven't taken very many pictures. But, here's one of Katie and Tys from yesterday morning. Judy and Ken gave the tractor to them last year and Tys has been totally in love with it this summer!! He spends hours pushing it around in the front yard and getting on and off, on and off. We received lots of rain over the weekend which, is always a nice thing in our desert area. Everything is so green and colorful right now and, I love the smell of the sagebrush! Casey and I are getting ready to leave for SLC tomorrow morning, for Trent's appointment with the craniofacial specialist. He'll have his appt. tomorrow afternoon then, we'll come home on Thursday. I looked online and found all sorts of shopping and restaurants near our hotel :)
My parents will stay with Katie and Tys while we're gone.... please pray for things to go well at Trent's appt.
On a side note, Katie's bedroom ant issue has been resolved!!! Thanks to the exterminator, Papa, and his hard work!!