Saturday, March 30, 2013

Easter Egg Hunt-Bluff Fort

We enjoy going to Bluff at Easter time. It's usually sooooo much warmer! There has been an Easter egg hunt, held the Saturday before Easter, at the fort the last few years. The first year, Charles got a special egg that won him a new bicycle!

This year, no special eggs were found but lots of candy and little toys. The girls were good to help their little brothers find eggs.  We like this hunt because there are fewer people to compete with although I think word is getting out!
Sadie helping James

Hannah helping Charles

good hiding places in these rock stacks

the race is on.....

Soren hunting eggs (in green shirt)

checking the fence line....

going through the loot...

more than just candy!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Spring Break 2013-Peaks Ice Arena

One of the 'fun' things we wanted to do while in Provo was take to older kids ice skating. (The little boys were perfectly happy playing with Legos at Aunt Nicole's.) The girls hadn't been skating in several years. It ended up being just our girls and Isabelle. By the end of the skating session they were skating a LOT better than when they first got on the ice.
Unfortunately Isabelle fell really hard and hurt her tailbone bad enough that it interfered with her track season. We felt bad about that.  :(
Here Hannah comes... and.....
There she goes....
Nina flew by me so fast this is the only shot I got....
Whoa!!!!! stay up there, Nina.
Nina and Sadie heading into the turn again.
Looking good, Hannah.


Sunday, March 17, 2013

Spring Break 2013-Sunday

On Sunday we attended church in Nate and Lori's ward to hear Holly speak before leaving on her mission to Chile. 
She give a great talk and she will be a wonderful missionary. I admire all these young women going on missions.
After church we all gathered at Nate's house to eat and visit. That is always the theme of get-togethers with the Welchs. 
I think the best benefit we have of having lived in Provo and sending our kids to American Heritage School is the relationships our children have with their cousins. I love that they enjoy each other's company and spending time together. 
I don't specifically remember what we ate, but when I look at these pictures I suspect there may have been some turkey involved. 
My favorite picture of the day-Lexie, Cambria and Spencer . Love these kids!!
James and Grandpa catching a few ZZZZzzzzz.
Lindsey seems to think these boys are funny. Maybe they were snoring.
Jordan-24 and James-2
This one is kindof sweet to me. My oldest and my youngest taking a nap together!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Spring break 2013-BYU bowling

We went north for Spring Break to attend Holly's mission farewell and also to meet Lindsey in person. Skype only sort of counts...
We wanted to do some fun things on our vacation and we also wanted Lindsey to think we did more than work and sit around, that we actually like to have fun as a family. LOL
So we met up and headed to the Wilkinson Center on campus at BYU for lunch and some bowling. 
First we went to the Cougareat for lunch. There are lots of options there and everyone got what they wanted to. I think some of my kids have eyes that are MUCH bigger than their stomachs! 
My crew walking into the Wilkinson Center....

Checking out the options....
The regular Welch discussion that has to take place before we can DO anything.....
Cambria and Sadie are so excited about it.

The girls' didn't want anyone to think they were with us, I think....
I somehow don't think Charles is going to get outside all that food!
What a cute little face peering over the table. He ate next to nothing.
Doesn't stop him from being a happy little guy.
(Took no pictures of the big kids cause I didn't want Lindsey to think I was a stalker nutcase)
Then we made our way downstairs to bowl a couple of games. We put Mom and Dad and the younger kids on one lane and the older kids on the other. It was fun to watch the little boys try to get that ball down the lane. It would sllllooowwwlllyyy roll towards the pins. Unfortunately we were on a lane that did not have bumpers and none were available, so the low scores for the boys show that.
It was fun to meet Lindsey for the first time and watch how she and Jordan interacted, as well as with all the kids there. She's a fun, quirky girl and will fit fine into our 'abnormal' family.

Soren bowling and Charles and Jordan waiting for their ball to return
Sadie watching her ball, Lindsey prepping for her turn...
Dad giving pointers to Charles...
Hannah is a very serious bowler....

Another classic Nina face for the wedding video files.... 
Charles and Austen taking their turns.


Hannah letting one roll......
James' first try at bowling....
James and his trusty ramp...

Fun watching James and Jordan get to know each other....


The final story!


We went north for Sprink Break to attend Holly's mission farewell and also to meet Lindsey in person. Skype only sort of counts... 
We wanted to do some fun things on our vacation and we also wanted Lindsey to think we did more than work and sit around, that we actually like to have fun as a family. LOL
So we met up and headed to the Wilkinson Center on campus at BYU for lunch and some bowling. 
First we went to the Cougareat for lunch. There are lots of options there and everyone got what they wanted to. I think some of my kids have eyes that are MUCH bigger than their stomachs! 
Then we made our way downstairs to bowl a couple of games. We put Mom and Dad and the younger kids on one lane and the older kids on the other. It was fun to watch the little boys try to get that ball down the lane. It would sllllooowwwlllyyy roll towards the pins. Unfortunately we were on a lane that did not have bumpers and none were available, so the low scores for the boys show that.
It was fun to meet Lindsey for the first time and watch how she and Jordan interacted, as well as with all the kids there. She's a fun, quirky girl and will fit fine into our 'abnormal' family.

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

My New Normal

As I try to recall those first days home from the hospital I realize that they are starting to get fuzzy already. Good thing I'm writing about it now, as I may lose what little I remember of them.

the lovely medicine that kept me from more clots, shot  into me 2xday. ouch
My days consisted of giving myself a shot at 8 am, sitting in a chair in the living room for most of the day, watching my mom do all my work, giving myself a shot at 8 pm and then attempting to sleep in the same chair I sat in all day.

I still could not lie down to rest. Apparently that pain was caused by the lung tissue that died due to the blockage. Things I read on the internet suggested that it was from blood seeping out of them into the pleural sac, or the lining of the lungs. I also noticed as time went on that I could actually hear/feel my lungs rubbing that lining as I breathed. It didn't hurt, it was just a very strange sensation I can't really explain because I didn't really hear it, I guess I felt the vibration of it and it seemed I could hear it.

I was also extremely short of breath still. They told me that it would take a month or two to get my lung power back, and that it might never be quite the same. So to even go up the seven stairs to my bedroom was pretty arduous at first. I would step on a step and wait a few seconds for air, then step to the second step. Any amount of exertion caused me to be very breathless and as I struggled for breath, I had pain. So I learned to just sit and not do much because then I didn't hurt. Bending over was really painful, as was sneezing and coughing, and incredibly, yawning. I never knew how much air a person had to inhale to yawn. I had to take it in in several small breaths before I could yawn. Very strange.

One of the most disconcerting effects was that I absolutely could not concentrate on anything. Nicole and Stacy both brought me books in the hospital and normally that would be something I would devour, since I had the time. But both in the hospital and at home I found I could not follow a story-line to save my life.  I wondered at times if I would ever get my brain back. I could not crochet either. Most of my time was spent talking to Mom, who continued to stay with us to help out, and listening to episodes of different series on the Mormon Channel. Love that channel on my phone.

I was trying at this time to figure out all the insurance stuff and how we were going to pay for 7-8 months of Lovenox shots. (how I thought my poor brain could figure it out makes me laugh now, but I was very worried about it.) Our medical insurance has RX benefits, but only after the deductible is met. They also have a mail order pharmacy where you can get bulk meds at a discounted price. I determined that that was what I should look at. I called them and was in the process of setting things up, when a little voice in my head suggested that I wait until I was past the time where I often miscarry a baby. I told them I would call them back when I was ready to activate the Rx.

I should mention that I had a dr. appt with Dr.  Black during the week after I got home. I wanted to have him be updated on what was going on, get his instructions and get my OB care rolling. I told him that I would like to have an ultrasound to see if there really was a baby there as I didn't want to be taking these shots if there wasn't a baby there and I could take a cheaper medication. He agreed and we did a quick ultrasound and saw a sac with a little baby in it with a rapidly beating heart. I knew then that all the expensive shots in the world were worth it, to have one more little one to love and raise.

When the little voice whispered to wait on the bulk meds, I just thought it was good common sense. I didn't get a feeling of doom or anything, yet a couple of days later when the spotting started I realized that I had been given a bit of inspiration. The spotting was light and continued for a couple of days and I thought maybe it would go away, but in the back of my mind I had two thoughts.

1. I have never (ever!) kept a pregnancy after I have started spotting, and
2. I was on anticoagulants (commonly called blood thinners) and was very worried about what a miscarriage might be like on them. Dr. Black had told me that if I had ANY bleeding I should get to the hospital right away.

The spotting started on Thursday I think and was just light until Sun night.........