I remembered a funny story that I want to share. Around the time Mattix was born Greg and I switched rooms with the kids because the crib and toddler bed fit better in the room we were in. We decided to paint it. So we went to Home Depot and picked out a color we liked. The lady who was helping us was new and she kinda struggled with mixing the paint and stuff. So we go to the self checkout to pay for the paint. The barcode was on the lid of the paint, so Greg tilted it downwards so he could scan it, and sha boom!! The lid was not on all the way and over half of the gallon of paint was all over the self checkout! The people who were working were stunned and had no idea what to do. Eventually someone grabbed paper towels in attempt to clean up the paint, but all it did was smear the paint even more. Then someone came around and put of cation tape all around us and the checkout. It was hilarious!!! I used to have a picture of the mess on my phone, but I can't find it.

Good times, good times.

Mattix got a swallow study done last Friday because he wheezes after he eats solids. The study showed that he micro aspirates. Poor kid. He is coordinated when he eats so they can't figure out why he does that. They want to send him to Salt Lake to get more testing done, but I don't think I am going to go. This is the second swallow study they have done with him and they still haven't figured out why he does it. He has to drink barium for the test and I don't think it is worth getting another test done with the likelihood that we won't get anymore answers about what is causing him to do this. The doctor's said to only nurse him and don't feed him anything else for a while. So I guess I will be nursing longer than I originally thought! Fun Fun!

Sometimes I wonder if it is my fault that he has problems health-wise. I think if I would have been healthier when I was pregnant or researched Terbutaline before taking it or maybe even if I would have been more strict with being on bedrest. I just feel so bad for him and I wonder if I could have prevented his health problems by changing something I did. Maybe that is silly, but if I could take them from him for myself I totally would.

For those of you who haven't hear the Terbutaline story here it is. I went into preterm labor so my doctor prescribed me Terbutaline. It was the highest dose and it was every four hours or something like that. I was on that for the last four months of my pregnncy. After I had Mattix I was reading about it online and it has a black label and pregnant women are not supposed to take it for preterm labor anymore because it causes all sorts of health problems and birth defects. I did't question it before because I felt like my OBGYN knew what she was doing. I learned a big lesson there!

I got this from Drugs.com

WARNING: PROLONGED TOCOLYSISTerbutaline sulfate has not been approved and should not be used for prolonged tocolysis (beyond 48 to 72 hours). In particular, Terbutaline sulfate should not be used for maintenance tocolysis in the outpatient or home setting. Serious adverse reactions, including death, have been reported after administration of Terbutaline sulfate to pregnant women. In the mother, these adverse reactions include increased heart rate, transient hyperglycemia, hypokalemia, cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary edema and myocardial ischemia. Increased fetal heart rate and neonatal hypoglycemia may occur as a result of maternal administration.

Anyways, that is crazy, right?

I Should Probably Be Sleeping...

I played a few rounds of Solitare and thought, "Hey I should blog!". I don't know why I have such a hard time sleeping sometimes. Oh well..
Greg is sleep talking right now. I can't really understand everything he is saying, but it sounds like he is doing math because he is saying a bunch of numbers, haha. The other day Greg and I were talking about our blog and how people perceive us. How quite a few people don't know us well and mostly know what they read on our blog. I don't mean to make Greg sound like a sleep talking freak, but he does talk in his sleep. A lot! I really enjoy it to be honest. It is pretty entertaining. Especially on nights like this when I can't sleep, which is a common occasion. Every fast Sunday we have dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Thompsons and someone will share their life story. Last fast Sunday was my turn. I wonder what the family thinks of me now. I have experienced a large variety of things and they aren't all pretty. I really appreciate and have grown from my experiences and I really believe they have made me a better person. Anyways, I have been thinking a lot lately about perception and how people perceive things differently. I wonder how people perceive me.
My computer is going to die and the charger is across the room. I don't want to move and wake up Mattix, so I will have to make this short. Greg got accepted into the Pharmacy Program at ISU. Woot woot!!! I am soooo excited for him! I knew he would get in because he is so dang smart. I am so happy for him. His sister Lindsay got in also, so they will be able to go through the program together :) Way to go guys!
Mattix is sitting up by himself and teething and V is talking and signing more. It is so fun being a mom. I am so blessed. My kids have changed my life for the better and I love them so much! They bring me so much joy.

March Pics

Updates, Yo!

lol ^

Hey hey! So here's what's up with the Thompson Family.. For starters, Greg had an interview to get into the Pharmacy Program at ISU. He will hear back from them by the end of April. I hope he gets accepted! He is very busy with school. I have hardly seen him all week. He is gone all day and studies all night. I cannot wait until the weekend so I can hang out with him. He will probably want to play video games or ride his new dirtbike haha ;) Who can blame him. He is a busy guy!! He is such a great husband, daddy and provider. I am super lucky!

Vella is doing great. She is finally starting to talk more, which is exciting. We have been encouraging her to talk instead of signing and it is working. She is a lot of fun and so so sweet. Today I laid down on the floor by Mattix. She went to her room, came back with a blanket, laid it on me and patted my back. It was such a tender moment! She is also so good at sharing with Mattix. She even gives him her favorite books and toys. Sometimes she gives him things that she is not supposed to, haha. He hasn't got hurt yet, thank goodness! She also is quite the climber. She is tall, too, so she has an advantage. She has climbed on the counters, the kitchen table, the changing table and even over our booby trap to go down the stairs (which is not yet baby proof). Stinker!

Mattix is doing really well :) He is developing a little slower, but it is expected since he was born so early. He eats a lot and is huge! He is only a few pounds lighter than Vella and is almost off the charts for his weight! He is soo chunky and I love it. He has such a sweet spirit. He is so happy and usually smiling and laughing. Vella is still pretty rough with him and he takes it well because he knows she is playing. V's new thing is the try and climb in the bouncer with him LOL She will climb on top of him and smash him. He will look a little scared and wide eyed, but he will still laugh and smile at her. Vella also will growl at him, and he thinks it is hilarious. His laugh is the funniest thing. He is also a little rolly polly. Anytime I lay him down he takes off rolling, and boy he is a quick one!! He still wakes up every couple of hours at night. I feel like I haven't slept in two years. Vella woke up a lot, but slept through her first night when she was a year. Then Mattix was born and I got up multiple times a night all over again. I think I function rather well with little to no sleep actually, so that is a good thing! I would give a lot just to have one good night's rest! One day...

I am doing well, too. I usually don't know what to say when I talk about myself! Things have been kinda crazy. Vella AND Mattix have been teething for the last couple of months which means crying, fevers, diarrhea, runny noses and babies that just don't feel well. Not fun! It is hard to go out by myself with the kids because Mattix in his car seat is really heavy and hard to carry a long distance and I also usually have to carry V because if she is down she will run away. Craziness! Sometimes I feel like do the same thing every day and it is just me and my kids, but I try to keep myself busy and find new things to do around my house. It can feel lonely at times! I usually do really well with the stay at home mom thing, but this has been a rough week. I know it will pass, and it's really not too bad. I think that it's normal...right? I know I say this a lot, and maybe even some of you are sick of me saying this (if you are then maybe you shouldn't read our blog because I'll most likely say it again, haha ;)) but I'll say it again. I absolutely LOVE being a mom. I cannot even begin to explain the joy it brings me. It makes me want to be a better person. I am the happiest I have ever been ( aside from this little funk I am in). Anyways, I don't know what else to say about that besides being a mom is the best thing ever. All of the sacrifices I have made and make every day are totally worth it!

I started doing something totally awesome!! At least I think it is. I am donating breastmilk which might seem weird to some, but it is a really awesome experience. Here is the story...My friend in Arizona had twins a few months ago. They were born at 28 weeks and they were sick and in the NICU for a while. One of the girls, Britta, passed away almost a month after her birth. Cordelia continued to grow and become healthy. She was recently able to go home (YAY! That feeling is great!!!!). My friend really really wants to breastfeed, but she can't make enough milk. She has been working with a lactation specialist and has tried everything, but still has a hard time. Cord has a super hard time with formula, too. She tried to find a donor there, but had no luck. So she asked if I would donate. I have been excited to help and it is a really rewarding experience!!! It is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life. She is so strong and such great mother. I don't think I could function if I lost a child. At least not for a while. Also, I don't know if I would continue to pump if I could only make a few ounces a day. She is amazing!!! It is really neat to be apart of this.

On another note, recently I have been Spring cleaning. Organizing closets, drawers, wiping down the walls and getting every inch of dust kind of cleaning. It is intense, but I like a clean house! Anyways, Mattix woke up and is a sad baby, so I better go. Hope everyone is doing well and having a great March!

Mattix Likes Squash!

Blogging Time

It has been a while since we have blogged about how we are doing. It is 3:30 am and I cannot sleep! It is extra annoying because I really want to get the rest I can while Mattix is sleeping. Sigh...oh well. I thought I would give everyone an quick update. We are doing really well, and keeping busy.

Vella is 20 months old. She is growing so quickly! She loves to share her toys with Mattix and do things to make him laugh. She sometimes rubs his head when he is fussy, too. She is such a sweet big sister! She loves to spin in circles, color, run, do puzzles, look through books, and play with the cat....well maybe it's more like torture the cat haha. She is starting to say more words, and that is fun! She is so smart. It's amazing how many things she picks up from us when we think she is not paying attention. She love to help. She likes to throw diapers away and she tries to help me fold laundry, wipe off the table, and unload the dishwasher. She is so much fun! She is also more of a cuddler these days. She has always hated cuddling or being close to anyone physically unless I was holding her on my hip, and it sometimes made me sad. So her showing affection is a big deal to me. She comes up to Greg and I and gives us hugs and kisses and this week she started laying in my lap. She has been teething for a few weeks now, and it is not fun. She got two teeth in the last two weeks and she is working on two more. Fun stuff!

Mattix is almost 7 months old!! He is getting so big, and is around the 75th percentile for his size, which is awesome because of his rough start. He is very observant, and loves to watch what we are doing. He likes when I sing to him, and he also likes when daddy plays the guitar. He loves to nurse! It seems like he wants to eat ALL the time!! He still gets up a lot at night to eat, so I feel like I never get a good night's sleep. Hopefully he grows out of that soon! He loves to jump in the jumperoo type thing. He can jump in there for 45 minutes at a time! He is a tender baby. He is tough physically, but a sensitive little guy emotionally. For example, V can be pretty rough with him (not on purpose) and drop toys on his head, poke his eyes (because I am teaching her body parts) and crawl by him and kick him. He rarely cries because of that and sometimes it surprises me because she can be really really rough at times. He gets sad if his feelings are hurt, and does the cutest pouty face. I love it! Is that terrible of me? He is usually happy and laughs a lot. He is also super ticklish!! He is so ticklish that he even laughs when I pick him up to hold him or get him dressed. It is so funny! He got his first tooth last week, and is getting another one. Two teething kids. Happy happy joy joy for me!

Greg is applying for pharmacy school. He made it past the first part and was accepted for an interview next month. I am sure he will make it because he has perfect grades. He is going to kill me for saying that...haha...but it's true! He is the one of the smartest people I know. He has a strong desire to learn, and he retains what he learns quite easily. He is pretty busy with school this semester and he works. Sometimes I feel like I hardly see him or spend time with him. This year he is playing for ISU's intramural basketball team. It is fun for the kids and I to go to his games. His team voted him the MVP! He is such an awesome daddy! It is s cool to watch them play. They both get super excited when he comes home from work or school.

I am doing well! It has been a rough couple of weeks with my awful teethers, but I manage. Sometimes I feel like I am going to go crazy if I don't get a break or have time to myself. The feeling doesn't last too long, and I try to keep myself really busy so I don't focus on it. I love being a mom. I feel like I have found myself in caring for my kids. It is really neat. I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with them! I have been trying to make dinner every night this year, which is kinda a big deal because I am not really a fan of cooking. The more I cook the easier it becomes. Anyways, I am starting to get tired finally. Adios!

Mattix Eating Rice Cereal