Kayak Adventure

So today we decided to go out to Kayak park and have a barbecue and enjoy the last full day off Cory has before returning to work. We headed out about noon and the weather wasn't perfect at the house but out west it was looking blue and sunny. When we got out there and the crew unloaded we really couldn't have asked for a better day unless the temperature was warmer but it was a beautiful day out!
Alyssa had a great time running around, climbing over drift wood, collecting shells and rocks, and getting soaked. More on that one later.
Cory cooked us a great lunch, cheese hot dogs, pasta salad, coffee and potato chips what more do you want when you are at the beach?! We enjoyed the campfire and I'm still enjoying the smell from my clothes as I write this.
After lunch Knox decided to finally wake up and I fed him while Cory, Alyssa and Harley all went for a walk by the water. Well Harley was chasing sticks in the water and Alyssa decided it was cool to go in as well. She went in and got her feet wet and than went in again up to her knees. Well after that she got knocked down by her own doing or the imaginary wave that came by. Either way she was down in the water. She got herself up and waited a few seconds before she let our her cry. She was drenched from the toes up to the middle of her stomach. I finished feeding Knox and took her up to the car and got her undressed and dried off. After the initial shock wore off, Alyssa was fine and enjoyed every minute of it.
At this time we had been out there for about three hours or so and we decided to pack it in and call it a day. Not before we decided that we need to get out and go camping very soon!

Generosity all because of a little man

These last couple of days have been the best in probably 10 months or so. I have been in no pain at all! Although the pain was well worth it, it's great to feel "normal" again. We are trying to enjoy Cory's last days off, he goes back to work on April 2, and I'm gonna miss having him around, hopefully those lotto tickets do us some good.
Knox is doing wonderful. He goes in tomorrow for a check up for his circumcise. Cory is taking him in for that while I take Alyssa to gymnastics. He is already eating us out of house and home and I can't imagine what it's going to be like when he is a teenager! I don't recall Alyssa eating this much at one sitting. As for his sleeping habits at night they can vary but for the most part he wakes up three times wanting to be fed and changed. He gets up at midnight, around three and than again at six. It doesn't seem to bad and for the most part I don't feel like I have been exhausted so that is good to.
So today I tried something and have kept him on a tight schedule in hopes that I can get him to sleep longer through the night. I will keep you posted on this. It's probably all in my mind that this is going to work but we will see!
The last couple of days we have been enjoying time in our backyard with our heater and fire pit. It's been great fun, having friends and family over to hang out and barbecue it makes me want summer to hurry up and get here.
Cory and I are so thankful for our family, neighbors, friends and even some acquaintances for their generosity for us and Knox. My barista gave my niece and mother in law a gift card to give to me at the hospital and my message therapist got me some socks and a night time CD for baby. I was so surprised by them both and than all of our neighbors have been bringing over gifts for both of the kids. These two kiddos are very loved by everyone that is in their lives and I'm beyond thankful!
Alyssa has been doing good. She enjoys her little brother and hasn't been too bad around him. She does want her "mommy" time and gets a little upset when she doesn't get it. Tantrums have been a daily occurrences but she is learning even if it's painful for us all involved. She is still a wonderful little girl.

Knox Michael

What an interesting week it has been. On Tuesday morning, March 16, we welcomed the arrival of our son Knox Michael into the world at 0051hrs. He was 19.5 inches and 7.6lbs and one of the most handsome little men I have seen.
Now to back up a little at my doctors appointment the previous week he had decided to induce me that Monday because I have been getting severe headaches that I couldn't get rid of. The baby was doing fine and I had no other health issues at that point but since I was unable to take anything stronger to get rid of them my doctor answered my prayers and decided it was time. That Monday we spent waiting around for the phone call. I was told if I hadn't heard from them by 4pm to give them a call. We had everything worked out as far as who would be taking care of Alyssa and had the dog boarded. I didn't get a call so I called them and when I spoke to the nurse we talked for a little while and I told her I was still miserable and they were going to move me into the next day because the maternity floor was pretty busy.
After talking with her a little more and her calling my doctor, who happened to be the on call doctor that day, said they were going to do everything possible to get me in that night and if I didn't hear from them by 6:30 to call the doctor directly. That's what ended up happening and Dr. Sundwall informed me that he was doing everything possible to get me in and it was shift change at the time and they were calling in nurses because they were short handed. Come 7:30 we got the call that they were ready for us. I couldn't believe it and was so excited to finally get rid of the pain and to meet our little man.
We got to the hospital around 8 and was checked in and by 9:30ish iv's in, had seen the doctor, who broke my water and said I was around 5-6cm dilated. The nurse started the patocin and we were off and running. Cory's mom was on her way to the hospital and when she arrived we had decided it was on for a scrabble game. Yes, we brought scrabble to the hospital and I was planning on kicking some major butt! Well my contractions were coming very close and very strong so after picking our first letters I asked Cory to tell the nurse I was ready for my epidural.
After about a half hour the anesthesiologist came in and started to prepare me for my pain relief. Well while I was trying to get that my contractions were coming pretty quickly and very painful. By the time she was done with giving me the epidural I told the nurse I really feel like I needed to push. She checked me out and sure enough I was fully dilated and I started pushing. The doctor was called and the real fun began.
I pushed for what seemed like maybe twenty minutes if that and our baby boy was here! It honestly was a very easy delivery and was a little in shock over how quickly and smoothly it all went. Knox was perfect and very healthy!
Everything appeared to have gone well and I was discharged that same day after dinner, thank goodness! The next couple days I continued to get headaches and I started not being able to even stand up and walk without being in complete pain. Well it turns out I had got a spinal headache from the epidural. Which is the most painful thing I have ever had. I would honestly rather give birth over and over than have that. I was told to go to the ER where I got a blood patch to hopefully stop it. What happened was they had a hard time giving it to me because I had progressed so quickly and the ligaments were relaxed in my back and there was a hard time finding where it needed to be put in. When this happens it can be put in too far causing a hole and having the fluid that is around your spine and brain to leak, causing a severe headache. So long story short I'm starting to feel better still have some pain in my neck back of the head area but it's slowly going away and the blood patch did take the majority of the pain away.
Other than that we are all settling in and enjoying our family. I will write more about Alyssa and Knox later, I think this is quite long enough ; )

Baby Deuce soon to arrive!

This last week has somewhat been hell! I have had a migraine for the last 11 days now and nothing has helped. The doctor has prescribed two different medications that neither have helped. He was concerned for the baby and my past history with preeclampsia so I had some test done and everything came back negative and baby is doing really well.
At my appointment today I told the doctor just how crappy I was doing. He said if those meds weren't doing the trick the only thing left to do would be to induce and than get me some better meds. I wasn't going to argue! The way I looked at it was a win win situation. Better meds and a baby!
So come Monday I'm going to be induced. I'm 75% effaced and second in line for induction. Hopefully we get the call early because I don't want to have to sit around all day by the phone! This couldn't have worked out better again, Cory and I being the planners we are, the whole labor unknown for us just didn't work! We have things all squared away and are ready to go! Family will be arriving on Sunday and Monday just can't come quick enough.
We are so excited to meet our little man and share him with the world! I hope Alyssa enjoys him as much. Boy she has no idea what she is in store for! I will obviously update sometime next week. Until then.....

George Edward Hughes 2/1/1914 - 3/1/2010

On March 1, 2010 the Simmons/Kelly family lost a wonderful member George Edward Hughes.
George was 96 years old and had lived a great life. He was born and lived in Seattle pretty much all of his life, except for a short time he lived in Alaska while he did some mining work. He was employed at Boeing as an engineer and retired from there in 1978. George enjoyed sports, playing golf until his late eighties when he could no longer and was a HUGE Husky and Mariners fan. George was also a statistician for many years for the U of W football games. He was married twice and although never had any children of his own doted on his nieces, his nephews and great nephew and niece.
Since I have only been in the family for the last eleven years I don't have quite as many memories as the rest of the family does but I have a few that I would like to share with you as well as some stories.
One of my favorites is how he met his first wife. George and a friend had decided that they were going to go and be on the maiden voyage of the Kalakala Ferry in 1935. There was going to be music, dancing, woman and booze so what young men didn't want to be on it. Well for whatever reason they didn't have tickets or the fair to get the tickets and they snuck on. I could be wrong by this but for some reason I want to say they got kicked off and re-snuck on. Him and his friend ended up meeting two young ladies whom one of them George ended up marrying.
I'm not sure how long that marriage lasted but sadly they did get a divorce but not to discourage George who met the love of his life Francis(Fran) who proceeded him in death.
He was a walking history book and I loved sitting and listening to him tell stories about him and his friends drinking during the prohibition, his pesky little sister Mary Bess(Grammy) who always followed him around, working at Boeing during the wars and how they had constructed "neighborhoods" on the property so enemies wouldn't know what was there. During the holidays George loved to be with family but you could always count on him disappearing and finding a t.v. if there was a sports event on, especially if it were golf, Mariners, or those damn Huskies.
George was also a ladies man. He had many admirers but I think anyone who came in contact with George couldn't help but adore him. Every day he had cocktail hour with one of his lady friends. George loved having him a martini but don't try to give him a foofy one he was strictly a vodka and vermouth kinda man. He also would drink Manhattans. This continued up until a few weeks before he left us.
We were lucky enough to have lived close enough to see him and have him get to see Alyssa grow. Alyssa enjoyed going over there because George was always generous with his cookies he had laying around and would share them with her. On our last visit with him before he left us he told Alyssa to be a good girl and she gave him a hug and even shared her blanket with him.
Although he is gone he will never be far from our hearts and our thoughts. We love you and miss you George!

Miss Independence

The last couple of months Alyssa has definitely started to show her independence. She no longer will crawl down the stairs but insists that either you walk down with her or will now walk down by herself. For her birthday, although only a few days ago, she received her own chair with footstool and she insists on sitting in that and watching her morning cartoons with her blanket and milk. I have noticed when I take her somewhere either the park or museum she is now fine wandering around by herself and doesn't want or need me to be right on top of her, although I'm always close by. I have been giving her options to choose from as far as activities to do or what to have for lunch and she seems to enjoy this.
She is doing wonderful in her big girl bed. I'm so glad that we got this taken care of before Baby Deuce arrives. Nothing more to say on the potty training front. I'm not pushing it and still don't feel like she is quite ready for it yet but hopefully within the next six months or so. Her favorite words are now "mine" and "no." She has thrown some nice tantrums and like her doctor said everyone goes through the terrible two's and if they say they don't they are lying! I so agree.
Well my doctors appointment went well today. Everything is progressing normally. My BP was up but nothing they were to concerned with at this point and my cervix is soft. So now I'm just counting down and hoping for a St. Patty's day baby. We can't wait to meet this little man and get going with life.

I'm two!

Happy Birthday to Miss Alyssa who is now 2! What a great birthday she had surrounded by her friends and family. It makes Cory and I so happy at how loved she is by so many people. On Saturday we threw her a party for her friends and her at our gym. They had a pretty good set up. We had the bounce house in the gym for 45min and than time up in the "yoga" room for dessert and gifts. Alyssa had around 10 friends there and they all had so much fun in the bounce house. Talk about a work out! I probably shouldn't have been in there but who could resist?! Afterwards baby Deuce was letting me know though that it was too much. Once we got back to the house Alyssa laid down on the couch and took a nap for several hours.
That night at our house we had family over for a nacho/taco bar. It worked out really good and I think everyone enjoyed it. We just had Alyssa's left over Elmo cupcakes that I made for dessert and we opened presents. Cory and I got Alyssa a play kitchen for her bedroom and she got lots of stuff to go along with that along with tons of other stuff. One of her favorites her cousin Nicole got her which was a couple of bracelets. Alyssa is so funny with them and she is the first to tell you that they are hers.
She has been having a very busy week and I'm thankful for that since now we are on the countdown for Baby Deuce's arrival. She has her 2yr check up tomorrow and I'm anxious to find out her stats. Her gymnastics class has been wonderful for her and I can already see a big difference in her and how she loves to practice her somersault's at home.

A week behind and forward

February is the shortest month and for some reason seems to be the busiest for us. This last week was actually our "slow" week. We went out on Friday and had dinner with Nicole to celebrate her birthday. It was nice to get out and be among adults only something that I no longer take for granted. We had a good dinner and conversation and after went to get dessert at the Melting Pot but only because Nicole wanted it ; )

Saturday was such a beautiful day. We spent it hanging around the house outside and getting it cleaned up and ready for spring. Which can't come quick enough. Alyssa played on her tricycle and later on we barbecued for the first time this year. Nothing is better than the smell of a grill!

We are all recovering from colds, which couldn't have come at a worse time for us. Cory got to go to Alyssa's gymnastics class and I think he enjoyed seeing what she does. I know he is glad that I keep her so involved in activities. We also had her playgroup at the house this week. It was crazy having 7 kids plus the moms inside the house at once, and not even all of them were hear today, and the chaos it brings. For those of you who know how big our house is you would agree. One of the ladies and I are both having another one so that will be ten kids among us all! I'm so glad Alyssa is involved in this. I feel it's so important for young children to be able to interact on a regular basis with children their own age. They learn so much from children that they don't get from adults. I maybe wrong for this but I think you can tell a big difference in children who aren't around kids than those who are.

The rest of the week is filled with my doctor appointments, lunch with friends, a Valentines cookie decorating party (for Alyssa) and my ladies night out. Next week is filled with more of the same along with a great weekend of birthday celebrations!

Im a big girl now!

Alyssa is home from her vacation at Grandma and Grandpa Simmons and I don't know who exhausted who out more! I'm in the process of getting her back onto her normal routine. It was very cute when she first saw me. She was sitting on her grandma's lap and her eyes got big, smiled and came over to me, giving me a huge hug and kisses. I sat down with her on my lap and she kept looking at me smiling and hugging me. I always wonder if she will remember or miss me but no worries, she did!

When she was gone we finished getting some stuff done around the house that needed to be and I changed over her bed into a toddler bed. I wasn't sure how it was going to work out but she has actually done pretty good. The first time in it was at night time so I was a little more concerned but she did good. I did find her on the floor when I let the dog out and put her back into bed and then another time she was crawling back over to it. I don't know if she fell out or what but I put her right back in and she was fine the rest of the night. The following morning she did great in crawling out and going to her door and came on out. Nap time was another story. She did get up a couple of times and after the third time she was down and out! Hopefully this is all a good sign at how easy the adjustment is going to be. This picture was of her just getting up from her nap. Now let's see how the potty training goes!

This month is so busy for us and of course it's the shortest month at that. This is my slow week, so I'm going to try and get some rest and any loose ends caught up. I also need to figure out what I'm going to do for Alyssa's cake. Alyssa started her gymnastics today and did great. She really liked playing on the balance beam and did great putting her food in front of another. I guess some kids have trouble with this. I will get some pictures next week when Cory comes with us.