Stewart Family

Bigger and Better Things

2010-05-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

Okay I admit it! I'm a slacker. But I do have a slightly good reason, other than being a busy mom of two little ones. I did finally find out why I was feeling so tired and cruddy all the time, and why I had lost 35 pounds after having Beck. Turns out the little stinker took all my iron reserves during the pregnancy. With the bleeding so badly during the labor and after giving birth, this experience left me with an iron level of 6 and a normal level is between 12-15. I also had a hemoglobin level of 8.2. Anything below 8 requires a blood transfusion. So after 8 months, I finally found out why I felt so yucky. To correct this, I went and got weekly iron IV's for a month sitting next to all the people who were getting chemo. I'll just say, I was glad I was only getting iron being I was the most lively person in the room. Another excuse why I have not blogged in so long is I have been working on a quiet book for Regan and finally got it done. With that, and being under the weather, and the always present headaches, just everyday chores led me to allow blogging to take a back seat - sorry. But the big news is....we finally got our transfer. Yeah !!!!!! So Caleb's new office will be in Fairfield, California and we hope to be buying a house in Yuba City. Hopefully Caleb can transfer to a closer office to Yuba city within the next 6 months after he transfers. Caleb reports to Fairfield September 1st. We are so excited to be moving closer to family and friends. Here are some pictures from the past 8 months. I know it has been way to long, but it's better than nothing right?

Catch Up

2009-08-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Well, it time for an update, it's been a little while . We blessed Beck at our house and both family's came down for that. We had a great time with everyone while they were here. We also celebrated Regan's birthday. She was really spoiled rotten, but isn't that what grandparents are for? She really loved having everyone here to play with. We went to Chuckie Cheeses for the big 3 celebration and back to my parents hotel to open presents and have cake. Beck is getting bigger by the day and doing a good job of keeping us on our toes at night. But that's his job right? Here is what you all have been waiting for! Here are the pictures.

Father and son, sooooo cute!

Grandpa Stewart, Caleb Stewart, Grandpa Buttars, Great Grandpa Quist.

Regan riding the horse game at Chuckie Cheeses where a kid can be a kid!

Happy birthday the Big 3 !

Better get out of the way!

All Clean and so cute !

A little grin for Mommy.

Just a little cross eyed, we still love him!

Quick Baby Update

2009-07-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well, today we took Beck to his first pediatrician appointment to get his first check up and to get circumcised. He weighed in at 8 pounds even. So, he gained 6 oz and measured 20 1/4 inches, so he grew half an inch. Regan has been adjusting well to her new brother. We are mostly just working on her listening skills. At 5 days old, Beck could roll over from his stomach to his back. What can I say, we are so proud! It has been so nice having Caleb home, he is such a great help. Regan always has more fun when he's home. We are looking forward to Beck's blessing. Both family's are making the trip to participate. It will be great to have everyone together. We are really excited. Regan can't stop talking about it and is constantly reminding us of the upcoming event. Here are a couple new pictures.

Tummy Time

So deep in Heavenly thoughts.

Father and son bonding time.

It's About Time !

2009-07-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

He is finally here and we are so glad he is! Beck Owen Stewart was born July 11, 2009 at 8:13 PM, weighed 7 pounds 10 ounces, and was 19 3/4 inches long. Caleb and I went to the hospital at 7Am that morning to be induced but the labor and delivery were really busy. So, we were shuffled around until about 3 pm when I was induced. Sorry if this is too detailed, but I was already 4 cm. They first gave me an epidural, then broke my water (which had (miconium) baby poop in it), and started pitocen. I had a student put in my epidural and lets just say I wont be doing that again! He had to do it 3 times! Then the Doctor supervising took over which after all of that, my epidural still wore off at the very end. So, I could feel everything. It was great! After about 5 hours of contractions, I was not quite dilated to 10. They were going to give me an hour and then I would have to have a C-section. Five minutes before they were going to take me in for C-section surgery, I was able to push his head down and have a nice painful natural birth. I pushed for about 15 minutes and then Beck was here! They took him over and suctioned all of the poop out of him. That took about 20 minutes before we even got to hold him. Caleb went and checked on Beck while in the mean time, they had alot of trouble stopping the bleeding. I didn't really get to see or hold him for like an hour after he was born. The whole night he didn't even cry unlike the baby next to us in the shared room that cried all night. We finally were discharged and are loving the time at home. Regan is such a good big sister and tries to feed him food from her play kitchen. Beck is doing well and has a great temperament so far, he hardly ever cries. We feel so blessed have such a sweet spirit in our home. It has been so nice having Caleb home, he is such a good dad and I have enjoyed seeing him help take care of Beck. He is so loving towards Beck and Regan. He is a great dad and I feel so blessed. Now, here are the so long awaited pictures!

Waiting for the fun to start!

Cheese!

He needs a manicure.

All covered in baby poop, but still cute as ever!

Getting ready to go home!

Leaving my shared room with a fussy roommate.

Lets hit the road!

Before

After 20 pounds in 3 days, not too bad!

Just Waiting For Baby

2009-07-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures of the nursery I had a ll the bedding custom made and painted all of Regan's old furniture black, then added the vinyl decals to the wall. Just thought I would share. Hope he comes soon!

Sorry couldn't get these two to turn.

Finally

2009-06-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Okay people, I guess I will put you all out of your misery and update the blog and upload a few pictures. Not much has happened, just waiting for this baby to come and trying to get everything ready. I almost have the nursery all done. I will post pictures when I get everything the way I want it. Caleb signed his first year paper work, so he officially has a job for the next 30 years with the California Highway Patrol. Yeahhhh! I am having a baby shower this Saturday and my mom is coming up for that, so we should have fun with her for a few days. Regan said something really cute at dinner the other night. We were having some soup with rolls and Caleb was putting some honey on his roll. The honey jar was in the shape of a bear so Regan asked, "Can I please have some teddy bear on my roll." Regan seems really excited to have baby brother in our home. I have a hard time keeping her from trying to put on his clothes. I have been feeling a little better lately so I am trying to take advantage of that time to get everything ready and getting the house cleaned. I even did a little spring cleaning and washed all the walls, base boards, and repainted some of the base boards. Was that a task at 8 months prego! I don't recommend it! Lucky, my husband is nice and helped me clean them. What more could I ask for? Well that's all for now, here are some long awaited pictures.

Here is my push present for having a baby. Stupid excuse to get a present, but Ill take it. Sorry for the flash but you get the idea. It's about 2 1/2ft tall by 4 1/2 ft long, so it's pretty good sized canvas. I really love it.

Regan is getting so big! I can't belive she is almost 3. What a big girl.

Okay, I gave in and posted a prego picture. This is at 8 1/2 months and counting down the days!

Shout Out To Nessa!

2009-03-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute and recognize some of my sister Jenessa's many talents. I am so proud of her. She does so many things that inspire me. Where do I start? Jenessa writes music as well as lyrics. She also plays the harp and piano. She also writes beautiful poetry. My favorite thing of all is her beautiful voice. In the clip below are some of her senior pictures put together in a slide show, to a song that she wrote. She played the harp too, and sang. I thought some of the family would like to hear it. She did such a good job!

Reganism"s

2009-02-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Her are some of Regan's vocabulary terms that are unique to her. Some of them are quite interesting.

Good girl nice

I asked Regan, "What number is this." The number was the number one. She said, "It is a pencil."

It amazing

Mommy feel well

She calls her big girl bed her good girl bed

I'm proud of you

So smart

I yike it

I yove it

She calls an elbow a belbow

Muffin is a nuffet

She calls her play kitchen a chicken, so when she wants to play with it, she says play chicken.

A taco is- calkco

She calls chocolate milk-shotgun nilk

When Caleb sings "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam," instead of beam she says beep

She calls dark-gark outside

While singing the ABC's, she sing's L, M, N, O, Pete

A gummie bear is a baby gare

nummy good

Jess you okay

Vacation Fun

2009-02-15T12:13:00.000-08:00

It's about time for a new update. A lot has happened since our last post. We spent a week in Las Vegas with my parents and had a really good time. It was nice to see everyone. I think Grandma and Grandpa Buttars enjoyed seeing Regan in person rather than over the video phone. She really enjoyed seeing them, not to mention the new toys she scored. I celebrated my birthday in Las Vegas and was not expecting anything really in lue of gifts. Caleb surprised the socks off of me with a beautiful white gold 3 stone diamond bangle bracelet. I love it! Thanks dad for the hook up. After we left Vegas, we were on our way to Caleb's parents house. About 2 hours into our 10 hour drive, Regan threw up all over herself and continued to do so until we got to Caleb's house. We figured out she had the flu. The next day, she had a bad a case of diarrhea. We thought every thing was fine after that, until the night before we left for home, Caleb and I both got the flu. Caleb felt pretty well by the next day. However, it took me 4 days to get over my case of the flu. That brings us up to current time. Here our a few pictures from our trip.

I must say I'm looking nice and fat in this picture.

Regan thought the fountains at the Bellagio were "Amazing," if you were to phrase it in Regan terms.

Riding the giraffe at FAO Schwartz

Regan and daddy playing the big piano. Here is my $8.00 ice cream that in actual size was a little bigger than a golf ball. If I knew how much it was, I would of have not gotten any. I got up at the register to pay and almost had a stroke.

Here is my new bracelet. Thanks Caleb for the great surprise.

Impatient !!!!!

2009-01-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

So Caleb and I were very anxious to find out the sex of our baby. Problem is, I'm only 15 weeks along and my next ultrasound would probably be around 20 -22 weeks. I could not wait that long! So Caleb, Regan, and I went down to Victorville Elite Diagnostic Imaging. We paid 40 dollars for a gender check! Before we went, I called and asked what the ideal age of the fetus is before you can tell the sex. She said between 22 and 28 weeks. I knew that was a crock, so I told her I would take my chances. I was so glad I got the same stenographer that had done my first ultrasound! Remember, it was when the Doctor could not find our peanuts' heart beat. It was cool to see how much the baby had grown! Right away it was evident that the sex was visible! The stenographer said this baby is a 150 % BOY. Yes, you heard me! Deep inside I felt it was a boy all along. But honestly, I'm really scared! I know nothing about boys and quite frankly, little boys scare me to death! I always picture those naughty little boys in sacrament meeting, screaming and giving their mothers a run for their money. I'm still am getting used to the whole idea, but I'm sure by the time he is here (it's really weird to say "he"), he will be loved very much. Regan saw me scanning the ultrasound pictures onto the computer and she said, "Baby brother." She will be a good big sister!

Our little boy would not hold still! After the ultrasound Caleb asked me if I could see him bouncing all around. I told him, "I feel him bouncing around." Later, Regan was just looking at the pictures that I copied to the computer and she said, "Baby Brother, I yike Baby brother! Cute." She's such a cutie!

In the picture above you can see the two hemisphere's of the brain. That's pretty cool. Even though he still looks like an alien, I'm sure he will be handsome. Only time will tell. Only 25 more weeks or 175 days until his birthday.

Happiest Place On Earth

2009-01-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is enjoying the new year as much as we are! A few days after Christmas, Caleb's parents came down for a visit. Regan was shy for about 5 minutes after their arrival and then got right back into her normal, "I love grandma and no one else," routine. I guess I can't blame her, she is really fun! I took on the roll of disciplinarian. Every time she did something she usually would get in trouble for, she would call out for grandma to save her from corner duty. While Stewart's were here, we went to Disneyland for the day. I was really excited because I had not been since the 7th grade! We prepped Regan by showing her pictures of the characters before hand so she was aware of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. We arrived at Disneyland right as the park opened. Every time we saw a picture of Mickey Mouse, we were notified by Regan. She excitedly screamed, "Mickey Mouse!" He was, as you know, all over the park so we heard this quite often! We took Regan on the Dumbo ride after checking in. At first, she was hesitant. But once she learned you get to push a button, she wanted to go again when the ride was over. She tried to get in another Dumbo seat. Caleb, Darrell, and I went on "Splash Mountain" which I had never been on. We also went on "Tower of Terror," which I loved! Then we went on "Soaring Over California." That was fun! Later we took Regan on the "Jungle Tour" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. Then we took her to the "Bugs Life" 3D experience where she had a lot of fun. Regan had a really fun time and we were glad we were able to go! We all had a great time!

The car ride to Disneyland. She is ready to go bright and early!

Here we are, at the happiest place on earth!

Regan, Caleb, and Donald Duck. She didn't like him very much.

"Jungle Cruise" ride with all the animals.

DUMBO!!!!!

We were lucky to get her to sit by them.

Waiting to go sit down for a "Bugs Life."

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE !

Regan owning the "R" at California Adventure !!!!

Grandma, Regan, and Minnie Mouse!!!

MICKEY MOUSE !!!!!!

Regan finally crashed on the way home with her Mickey Mouse.

Christmas Overview

2008-12-26T18:11:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas just seemed to fly by. If you ask me, it was done and over it seems before it even began. We had a great Christmas and are very blessed. Caleb was lucky and got 4 days off in a row, including Christmas. We had a great time! Regan finally got to rip the presents she had talked about doing all month. On Christmas Eve we had homemade Cheese soup and rolls in the dark with the Christmas light and candles. We also listened to Christmas music before we put Regan to bed. We watched "Joy To The World" produced by the Church. When the video was over, Regan started to cry because she wanted to see Jesus again. Regan loved the toys she got and has been playing with them non stop. It is nice to see her get so excited! We love to see the new things Regan comes up with on a daily basis and are excited to see her interact with the new addition to our family.

Here is Wubbas. She is enjoying the first snow of the season. She hated going outside.

Regan in her Christmas dress before church. She is quite the model!

Regan loves her new kitchen. She is quite the Betty Crocker! She loves microwaving the apple and oranges.

Regan being her normal happy silly self.

Grease Monkey

2008-12-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

We all know that I love my hair to look just right, so occasionally I use some styling wax to keep it in place. I have had this wax since the beginning of our marriage, which has been over 3 years. So, lately Regan has been going in our room and getting into makeup and whatever she can get her hands on. One day I went in and found she had gotten into my hair wax and had spread a generous layer throughout her hair! So, I thought I would wash it out with shampoo. WRONG! I looked up on google how to remove styling wax from hair and it said to use olive oil and dish soap. After several washings of olive oil and dish soap, I was finally able to get her hair back to normal.

If that that was not enough, 5 days later I find her in my room again with her hair covered with the remaining contents of the jar of wax. This time the wax job was like 10 times worse than before! I tried washing it out the same way as before, but couldn't get it all out. I will have to try again tomorrow.

Here she is standing in the corner, with her horrendous deed. You can see the wax that looks like a lougee in the back of her hair.

Here is close up of the action. There is so much wax, I could hardly get the elastic out of her hair.

Somehow I think she thinks this is so funny.

Baby Swag

2008-11-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

Today I went to my first OBGYN visit. I was kind of nervous afters 2 and a half years, but every thing turned out fine. Although, I had to get a dumb pap smear! Those are always fun! I got an ultrasound today, and I'm 5 weeks along. You can see the amniotic sac in the ultrasound picture. Doctor White gave me a due date of July 17, 2009. I go back in two weeks to have another ultrasound to see the heartbeat and get measurements. It's so amazing that in 2 weeks, it goes from a mass of cells to having a beating heart!

The little clack dot is our new baby's condo with a great view of the ocean!

At the end of my doctor visit, they said they would send my home with some samples. I expected to get a little bag full of vitamin's. Instead, they gave me two arm fulls of stuff! I felt like I was at a celebrity swag tent! I took a picture of all the items together and then individual shots of the contents of each bag or box!

All the items!

Item #1

Close ups of the magazines and formula.

Coupons and cool baby organizer album!

Still item #1. Check out the cool changing pad and monthly planner!

Item #2

Item # 3. I love the Lysol to go travel size and always love the formula!

Last but not least, all the parenting books and the cute little touch and feel book-this is a California state sponsored handout.

Our Little Bun In The Oven!

2008-11-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

Caleb and I want to confirm the rumor that YES, we are PREGNANT, and it is planned! I have come to the conclusion that I am CRAZY after having Regan. I thought it would take 20 years for me to do that again! It turns out it only took me 2 years. I still have daily headaches and although PFO was closed with the device, it has had no effect on my headaches. I still have the headaches and there is no telling when or if they will ever go away.

After watching the October General Conference, I found our prophet Thomas S. Monson's talk very insightful. Especially this ex cert, "This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."

"Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us."

For so long, I thought that when the headaches go away, then I will have another baby. Waiting for something like headaches to go away is not important! My family is what is most important to me, so that means that by adding to our family I am now focused on what matters most.

Joseph B. Wirthlin's talk gave me new insight on how to tackle adversity in my life. What touched me the most was the story about his daughter in the following quote. "One of our daughters, after giving birth to a baby, became seriously ill. We prayed for her, administered to her, and supported her as best we could. We hoped she would receive a blessing of healing, but days turned into months, and months turned into years. At one point I told her that this affliction might be something she would have to struggle with the rest of her life.

One morning I remember pulling out a small card and threading it through my typewriter. Among the words that I typed for her were these: “The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”

She did put her trust in God. But her affliction did not disappear. For years she suffered, but in due course, the Lord blessed her, and eventually she returned to health. Knowing this daughter, I believe that even if she had never found relief, yet she would have trusted in her Heavenly Father and “[left] the rest to Him.”

I can only hope that my Heavenly Father will help me through this daunting challenge in the coming weeks, as I know it will be difficult. Especially if it is anything like my last pregnancy. In the end, I know it will bring our family so much joy! I feel like I am bearing my testimony. Sorry. I didn't mean for it to get all sappy. I might as well close in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Halloween Fun

2008-11-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

Not much has happened at the Stewart house from our last post. Our anniversary trip to Vegas was fun. I will post pictures when I get them developed. I cut my hair off, so it is very short again which I love! I will have to take a picture of it. I have been busy making Christmas cards, so if everyone could leave their addresses in the comment box I would appreciate it. Now for the real reason for the post! HALLOWEEN! I wanted to post some pictures of Regan in the Halloween costume Grandma Buttars sent!

Ready for the ball!

What a cute little Princess!

Check out those shoes.

In this picture her hair is doing all the talking and would like to thank everybody for the country music award.

Showing off a little leg.

Stewart Updates

2008-10-21T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe we have been here in Apple Valley for six months already! Where does the time go? While we are on the topic of time, I can't believe it's almost Christmas! Caleb and I just recently celebrated our 3 year anniversary on October 13. I have to say, I have never been so happy and honored to get spend my life with such a kind and loving person. Regan has grown an inch in the last 2 months. At the rate she is going, we will have to raise the ceilings! Caleb and I are very excited to go to Las Vegas for a few days at the end of this month to celebrate our anniversary. Caleb has been doing very well with work and he even managed to get Thanksgiving off. I thought I would post a few pictures from when Grandma Stewart was here.

Regan loves her pumpkins. Lately she has wanted to hug and kiss everything. The other day, Caleb took her for a walk and she kissed the road and said it was cute. What a nut!

For family home evening we carved a pumpkin. Regan is such a good helper!

Here is the finished product!

Every night before I go to bed I check on Regan. We put pajamas on her, so when I go to check on her, I always have to put them back on. I couldn't resist taking a picture! She makes such a cute stinkbug.

Every time I play the song Timberland, "The Way I Are," on the computer Regan goes crazy!

First Haircut !!!!!

2008-09-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

A few days a ago, I took Regan to get her first hair cut. Yes, I know everyone is shocked that I cut off her curls. All I have to say is that her haircut turned out so cute, and her hair will grow back for all those that are disappointed. So, now that everyone has come to accept the fact her hair is short, we can all be friends again!

Here are some before pictures of her curly hair (Lady Lovely Lovely Lock's) !

Regan didn't like getting her hair cut very much. She was really scared but eased up towards the end.

I love how her hair turned out! She's my little Vogue model!

SURPRISE !!!!!

Birthday Fun With Grandma!

2008-09-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

We were so glad Grandma Stewart was able to come and play for a few days. While she was here, of course she had to come and spoil her favorite grandchild with birthday toys. While Leticia was here, we decided to have a Pre-Birthday party for Regan. Regan loved the toys she got and plays with them everyday. The time went by so fast, that before we knew it, Grandma had to go back home. We were sad to see her go, but had a great time while it lasted.

Regan loved the candles. We had to blow them out 3 times!

For once Regan was the one we had to hide the presents from because she kept trying to rip them open before it was time for her party.

A few days after Grandma Stewart left, Grandma and Grandpa Buttars sent Regan a Birthday present. Regan loves her new car! Thanks to the grandparents, for helping make Regans' birthday special.

C Is For Cookie!

2008-09-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since I updated the blog, so I figured it was time for a few news breaks. A few weeks ago I decided to make homemade sugar cookies and frosting. They turned out really well. Regan helped frost a few while I could not resist taking a couple pictures. We all know when it comes to cookies I'm a cookie monster. It turns out Regan is too!

Regan is giving a demonstration on how to properly frost a cookie!

Here you can see she has finished frosting her cookie and is now cleaning up her work area.

Now you can see she has turned into a ravish beast and is foaming at the mouth.

Since I was frosting the cookies and making them all cute, I had the wonderful idea to make the star cookie into a CHP badge. Of course, I had to have Caleb try it on for size. As you can see, he is so excited to wear his new badge.

TRAIL OF 100 GIANTS

2008-08-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go to Sequoia National Forest with our friend Nate, also a new CHP officer, and his girlfriend Kelly. After getting sick from the windey roads up the mountain, we stopped at a waterfall to enjoy the scenery. The area we went to was very steep and had no fencing, so Caleb put Regan on his shoulders as his ear piece fell off his ear. The ear piece landed next to a rock about 6 feet down the steep embankment. So, Nate and Caleb came up with a brilliant idea for Nate to hold Caleb's feet while he slid on his belly far enough to reach the ear piece. Caleb finally reached it and Nate pulled him up from the his impeding doom. We then drove further up the mountain to the "Trail Of A 100 Giants" Redwood trees. These trees are unbelievable! I have never in my life seen trees as big as these. The pictures don't do them justice! The trees are so big that they are the length of a car. They are so tall, that they are frequently struck by lightning so you can see where the Redwood had been scorched. But even more interesting is how the trees bark grows over the damaged wood like nothing ever happened! I am glad we went to see the these truly remarkable trees. Our Heavenly Father created such a beautiful world for us!

CALEB'S NEW TOY

2008-08-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

We finally got the sport bike we had been anticipating for 2 months. We originally went to a dealership, who wanted 4,999.99 for the bike. We put down a deposit and was told the bike would be available the next day because they were waiting for the shipment. We waited and waited. A month and a half later, we still had no bike, so we got our deposit back with much effort. We bid on a used bike that had 800 miles from Ebay. We won the auction with a bid of $3,550.00 and had a shipping price of $625.00, so we saved about $900.00 even with the shipping. We feel like we got a good deal! I had a lot of fun riding on the back of it while the Stewart's were visiting. Now, we have no one to watch Regan when we ride, so Caleb goes solo and I try not to get jealous. It gets about 70 MPG so we will save a lot of gas money versus a car when Caleb commutes back and forth to work.

Caleb's first official ride !

HEADACHES AND PFO

2008-08-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have to say that headaches for the past 2 1/2 years have have been a major struggle for me. It has been the hardest thing I have ever had to endure next to being pregnant. Over the past few weeks, I have been taking a preventative medication that really seems to help out. So, I only get headaches every other day. I feel blessed to have have found out about my PFO (Hole In My heart) and becoming a surgical candidate. On August 1, Caleb and I traveled to L.A. to Good Samaritan Hospital for my surgery. They gave me some good medicine that made say really odd things. Before I went into surgery, I told Caleb that he could keep all my money's if I died. After my closure surgery, I was still a bit loopy from the sedation and told Caleb to put some stick (chap stick) on my lips. I then stuck out my tongue. When he asked why I stuck out my tongue, I told him my tongue was dry (implying I needed chapstick on my tongue). For a week after my surgery, I had a Migraine every day, which made me think I had not gotten the closure device. Two days after surgery, I went to the emergency room because my heart was racing at a steady pace of 130 to 150 BPM. Usually it only beats 90 BPM. I got an electrocardiogram and was told my heart was healthy. When I asked if they saw a PFO, they said they their was no PFO. I would like to think my high pulse rate and fluttering I felt in my chest is a result of my heart adapting to the PFO closure device. I still want to know 100% that the hole is closed for sure. They are doing more tests to make for me to make sure. In the meantime, they have prescribed medication to lower my heart rate. I still feel the fluttering feeling in my heart, but it's more of a pressure than a painful feeling. They have me taking Plavix and baby aspirin as well, so a clot does not form in my heart. As a result, I bruise very easily leaving black and blue marks which I have no idea how they got there. These last couple of days I have woken up headache free and only felt a small headache which went away quickly. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for helping me find a solution for my head. It is so nice to have a clear head, which makes me so excited for the future of being headache free! (Knock On Wood).

OUR LITTLE PRINCESS

2008-08-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Regan is always dressing up in our clothes and wears our shoes around the house. So, I decided to get her a little dress up ensemble. Once she opened the box, she wanted to put every thing on. Now, her and her play shoes are inseparable. She loves to do girly things, just like her Mommy. Sorry Stewart's, I don't see basketball in her near future. On another note, we measured her heigth. They say to predict your child's adult height, you double it at age two. She is almost two measuring in at 35 1/2 inches. So, if you do the math, she would be 6 feet tall as an adult! That would be so crazy if she ended up being that tall! She is already in a size 7 1/2 shoe and she's not even two yet !

She thinks shes so grown up!

Regan is such a Diva superstar!

Here she loves to take of her clothes right after you put them on. We might need to start taping her clothes as well as her diaper. We had to tape her diaper to keep her from tearing it off and spreading poop eveywhere for about a month! We taped her diaper on with packing tape!

STEWART FAMILY VISIT

2008-08-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

We are so glad Shyler, and Mom/Dad Stewart could come visit us. We really enjoyed seeing them! Regan was so happy to see them, she loves her Grandma and Grampa. When Regan would have to stand in the corner for being naughty, she'd call for Leticia to come save her. Of course they brought presents for Regan being spoiled rotten by both sides of the family. I just recently had to start buying her clothes after almost 2 years of my mom providing her wardrobe. Thanks Aunt Sally! Regan loved to go outside and play in the spinklers with Leticia. We also got to go to Raging Waters, but I don't recommend it unless your prepared to spend an arm and a leg. Regardless, we had so much fun. Regan seemed to really enjoy herself. She would call the swimming pool "a drink". It was fun to see her get so exited! At first, she was scared of the water and would cry, but when we went to take her out of the pool she would say, "Again." She is such a nut!

We had a great time even if it did cost and arm and a leg!

Regan and grandma were joined at the hip the entire visit !

Regan loves the the "Weeeeeee" as she would call it. She is having a blast!

Grandma Stewart fufilled Regans every whim. It's fun to see them interact.

PENCIL AND PAPER

2008-07-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

So, I gave Regan a pencil and some paper to draw with in her room today while I got some things around the house done. I'm only sure you know what she really ended up drawing on. It was quit the art project, I must say, she is very artistic. Regan Also said, "Love You" today. It was so cute! We have been trying to get her to say that for a long time and I must say, it was worth the wait. Today, I also had Caleb pick me up a couple more handbags from Coach to sell on EBAY. They put a limit on my account so I'm not happy about that. I wrote them an email to retaliate. Coach is widely counterfitted, so they limit certain listing if they sound fishy. It's probably all those stupid pig key chains I listed once. Caleb had a perfect night last night with his training officer, he couldn't find one bad thing to write on his DOR! Well that's all that has happened today, just wanted to talk about what artistic abilities we have in the family and post a few pictures.

PLEASE AND THANK YOU

2008-07-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

Not much new has happened Caleb got extended, so that was kind of a bummer. But, he should be getting off break-in soon. My surgery to close my PFO is on August first. I'm glad it’s going to be done and over with. Regan seems to have developed a new attitude over night. She has become quite the drama queen, but that wasn’t unexpected if she takes after me. She learned how to say please and thank you. She goes around the house saying thank you for everything, even if you didn’t give anything to her. We finally did it! Since Regan is almost 2, I decided it was time for her to give up the binky. So, on Saturday I took it away. She was really mad at first, but after about a day she didn't mention it a lot. When she does mention it, I just say, "Binky’s are all gone." She seems to be okay with that. Lately, Regan has been learning a few new words. Since my head has been feeling a little better, I have been able to get out of the house more often. I went to the Coach outlet store in Barstow and bought a purse, wallet, and some key chains. They were having a really good sale with the items I bought being really hot on EBAY right now. So, I am reselling them to try a make a little profit. I’m thinking about making it a regular activity to earn some extra mad money. We will see how this auction goes. We are looking forward to mom and dad Stewart, and Shyler to come to visit us for a couple days. I think we are going to go to the San Diego zoo. I am excited to take Regan. She loves to see the animals. I know the pictures I am posting are a little old, but I erased all my current pictures on accident. These will have to do until I take more. Well, I don’t really have much more news. I will keep you updated.

This picture was around Christmas in 2007 I love this picture.

PILLS ARE A NO NO

2008-07-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today Regan was wandering around the house finding herself in my bathroom. When I went to check on her, I found she had dumped a bottle of pills onto the floor and was trying to pick them up to put them back in the bottle. I picked up the pills and told her, "No no." She shook her finger, looked up at me, and said, "A no no." Since I didn't know if she had swallowed any pills, I loaded her into the car and drove to Target to buy some ipecac. I went to the pharmacy and asked where it was on the shelf. The pharmacist said they didn't carry ipecac, or anything like that. I thought this was odd. So, I once again loaded Regan in the car, this time driving to Walgreen's to buy some ipecac. When we got home, I put Regan in the bath tube and gave her the ipecac. About ten minuets later, she threw up. She looked so surprised when it happened. For about another hour, she would periodically throw up, not liking it. She tryed to hold her throw up in her mouth with her hand. It was so sad!

Well, on a lighter note, we have a doves' nest out on the porch with two eggs that have hatched into two baby doves. They are kind of cute. Regan enjoyed the fire works. She would point up to the sky and say, "pitty." She has recently been saying a few new words. My favorite is book, which she started out saying, "bo," which has now evolved into butch. Don't ask me how. She seems to have her own little language which only she knows what she's saying. I'm struggling to understand it. Well, I just thought I would update you on my traumatic day.

BRINGING EVERYONE UP TO DATE

2008-07-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to bring everyone up to date. To start, Regan was born September 30, 2006. She weighed 7 pds 1 oz. We have had so much fun watching her grow up. She is now almost 2 years old! Gosh how time flies! Regan’s favorite things to do is to put our dog Wubbas in the cupboards, and get into my makeup drawer. So, she keeps me quite busy. Regan is learning how do so many things. She is almost making sentences, learning new words everyday.

Caleb applied to the California Highway Patrol and graduated from the CHP academy on April 18, 2008, after 6 long months of hell. His first office assignment is in Barstow, California. So, we moved from Gridley, to Apple Valley, California. He is almost done with his break-in and is doing very well. We miss being close to family, but the ward here in Apple Valley is really nice. The house we are renting is in a really nice neighborhood, and is so much better that renting an apartment. We love all the room.

We all know about the daily headaches I have been getting for the past 2 1/2 years, but recently I have tried a new preventative medicine. For the past month, the medicine has been helping a ton! I went from a headache all day, every day, to 2 a week. I'm now starting to enjoy life again and looking forward to each new day. I have signed up for an FDA study about migraines, PFO (patent foramen ovale), which is a hole in the heart they discovered, which may or may not be related to my migraines. Anyways, I should be having surgery to close the hole in late July. Hopefully they close it. I won't know for a year because it's a double blind study. Well, that will bring you up to date with what we have been up to for the last little while!

What can I say, Regan loves Wubbas. Maybe its a little too close for comfort. I don't think Wubbas wants to share a room. She crawled in just fine, but we had a hard time pulling her out!

Here is Regan at Grandma Stewart's, showing her artistic side. Regan has such sensitive skin, that when we took the stickers off, there was a red circle for a few hours wherever we put a sticker.

This was taken about a week ago, in our new house in Apple Valley. Regan is helping me make cookies and is tasting the batter to make sure they will turn out well. I don't really think she cares what they tasted like, because every time I would turn around to put more ingredients in, she would stick her hand in the bowl to snitch a piece.

Today I ventured out of my comfort bubble, giving Regan a spoon to feed herself for the first time instead of having to sit there and feed her. She didn't do too bad, but after i finished taping her, she dumped out her bowl of spaghettio's and then rubbed it into her tray.

This is Caleb's Graduation day from the CHP academy. He looked so serious. I hate the stupid hat. We paid 200 bucks for that thing. He will never wear it again, DUMB. This is right before he presents his badge to me to pin on.

Here I am pinning on his badge. It was such a good feeling to be able to pin on the badge, earned from the best law enforcement agency in the world. He worked so hard and graduated 13 out of a class of 130 cadets. "OOH RAH"