Puppies!

To our suprise...Daisy had her puppies on the 27th-28th (5 on the 27th, 2 on the 28th). She had 7, but unfortunately one little male puppy didn't make it. We have 4 females and 2 males. they are so small and cute. Daisy is such a good mom, and did just fine while we went to Boise for 2 days. Devry's Parents stopped by a few times a day to let Daisy and Dash out, although Daisy didn't go outside for the first day and a half because she doesn't like leaving her puppies when someone is around that she doesnt know well (basically anyone but me or Devry). We are excited to have more puppies (and for the money we will make from them).

Our trip to Boise went really well. Payton did great with surgery. He is recovering very well, and seems like himself (besides being extra tired from the Lortab).

Feeling Guilty...

Devry and I were packing tonight, getting ready to go to Boise for a doctors appointment and stuff for payton. We took the dogs out for an hour or so to play with them before going to bed. Like usual, Daisy immediately found her tennis ball and wanted to play fetch. She was a little slow and had to stop to catch her breath a few times, but we just figured she was getting more and more pregnant and just didn't have the same energy. No big deal. They came inside for another hour or so, ate, then kept wanting to go back outside. So we let them out to their pen. We were about to go to bed when we heard Dash barking like crazy. Devry went out to check on them, and Daisy had gone in the shed and had 3 puppies! We were so suprised! We didn't think she was due for another 3 or 4 weeks! Plus..last time she had puppies she wouldn't play or eat for HOURS before she had them. We ran them all inside, under a heater, and they were just fine. Then Daisy had one more (making 2 boys and 2 girls). We decided to go to sleep and check on her in a few hours. We had just got into bed when Devry thought that maybe he should go check to make sure one hadn't crawled under something in the shed. He went out, and to our horror he found a poor little puppy...out in the snow, way away from the shed. It must have been the first one she had...and then went in the shed to have the other three. It had been out there for way to long and had died. I am feeling unbelievably guilty! First that she wasn't inside in the first place, second that we didn't realize she was in labor (I mean I'm a Labor nurse for goodness sakes!), and third that we didn't look better when we first went out to get them. When we decided to breed them, I knew there was a good chance she would loose a puppy or two....and I would be ok with that, if it hadn't of died because of me! It just never even dawned on us that she had one before going into the shed, especially because it was less then an hour from the time we let her out to when we realized she had 3 puppies...I mean 3 puppies in an hour was crazy...so we never figured there was another one. It was so different with this litter! The last time, she spent about 2 hours gathering things (blankets, toys etc) and making a "bed" to have the puppies in. This time she didn't do any of that! I can't figure out why she didn't pick up the puppy and bring him into the shed. I don't know. I keep going through it in my mind wondering how I could have changed the outcome. I didn't think I would cry my eyes out like this over a puppy! At least she had them tonight instead of tomorrow night,when we would be in Boise and noone would be here. If that had've happened we most likely would have lost all of them.

So of course now I am wide awake, feeling very guilty, and we are leaving for Boise in 5 hours, for another emotional roller coaster. I havn't told very many people much about this, but Payton will be having surgery on Friday. Its really a very minor surgery and nothing of big concern, but still....he has to be under anesthetic, and I wont be with him, and that scares me. I know everything will be just fine.....but it doesnt change that I'm very nervous.

I guess I am just getting all of my emotional rollercoasters over with in a matter of a few days. Hopefully when we get back from Boise, and I know Payton is fine, I can be a bit more excited about having puppies again. For now, I am having a hard time looking at the 4 and not crying about the fifth one that should be with them.

Cute Baby

Payton is so much fun! Here are his latest achievements:

1. Rolling over BOTH ways. (but really he only goes from back to tummy if he REALLY wants to get something...then he rolls right back)
2. Smiling EVERY time I walk in the room
3. Major increase in his babbling. He is even trying to copy me. His best is "ii" (when I say Hi). He also includes "oooo" "ahhhh" "mmmmm"
4. Squeeling in delight when i kiss his cheeks
5. Shaking all of his rattles (and hitting himself in the face with them)
6. Giving hugs....or at least I think he is. He grabs me (my face, ears, hair etc) and pulls me as close as he can. he does the same thing with his Teddy Bear.
7. Sitting up.....kind of. He will for a bit...then all of a sudden face plant on the ground. I still don't leave him alone sitting without his boppy around him.
8. Trying to eat everything and anything we are. If he sees us eating he yells at us if we aren't giving him something to eat. Meal time is now us taking turn feeding him his veggie or fruit. And if we wait to long between bites he gets mad and yells
9. Sucking his thumb after every bite of food. Bite goes in...thumb follows...he swallows...thumb comes out....mouth opens for next bite...We have to hold his hands down while we are feeding him unless we want to give him a bath right after.
10. Chewing on his toes.

And the latest entertainment for Payton is.... A bottle of apple juice with handles. I had come down with a nasty flu yesterday and was desperate for some sleep, and Payton was wanting entertained. So I grabbed a bottle, filled it 3/4 with water, 1/4 with apple juice and handed it to him. Now he has never been good at holding a bottle...even with handles. He always drops it then crys till I give it back to him. Not today! He LOVED the juice and sat for 2 hours smiling, laughing, drinking, and talking to his bottle of juice. He would drop it, and then roll over and pick it up. He was SO cute! And best of all...he was happy for 2 hours after his juice was gone. So giggly and smiley. I got some good rest thanks to that wonderful bottle of juice!

I love my little guy so much! He is so much fun! Such a pleasant and happy baby.

Teething baby

Payton is getting his two bottom teeth. They are finally both through the gums. He really hasn't been very fussy at all, just a bit more clingy and needy. His right one came in first, and we didn't even know until it was almost through. The left one seems to be a bit more painful for him. I have had to give him tylenol a couple of times and some teething tablets. All in all though he has been great! I can't figure something out though, maybe all the moms out there can share some insight. About a month ago, Payton had a bad cough and cold. He seemed to get over most of it, but the congestion stayed. I used saline drops, humidifiers, vicks baby rub, and nothing seemed to improve it. Finally the doctor saw him when he went for his shots, and started him on singulair, thinking it was allergies. Its been about a week and the congestion is MUCH better. I just don't know whether it really was allergies, or just teething. Do babies get congested and stuffy while teething? I may have to try taking away the singulair for a few days to see if it comes back. It makes it hard when he is having more then one problem at the same time, how do you know what really causes it, and takes care of it?

Quick update on me: Healthy eating and exercise is going great! I have started p90x with Devry, and still continue to do my eliptical or zumba every day. As of my weigh in yesterday.....9 lbs down!! I am not below my prepregnant weight! I'm enjoying the changes i am making. I feel much better. I am working this weekend, and am going to try to take healthy snacks to eat, and keep on track!

Feeling Great!

I think I forgot how GREAT it feels to eat healthy and exercise. I have been so diligent this week in staying on track with my goals, and it payed off when I weighed in 5 lbs less this morning then I did last week. I don't know that I have ever been this motivated to get into shape, at least not for me (I have been motivated to be in shape for basketball, or swimming, but not simply for myself). I am enjoying planning meals, and planning workouts. I look forward to working out everyday, and am anxious when I dont get to until the evening. I am watching my calorie intake very closely with www.myfitnesspal.com. What a WONDERFUL and EASY way to help you loose weight, check it out! I have more energy, I am happier, I feel good about myself, and about my progress. Devry has been AMAZING in helping me. He even eats what I eat (mostly)...including Salad and other vegetables (although he substituted his sweet potato for a "real potato" of course loaded with ranch and cheese..haha). I really want these habits to become part of our lives. I got rid of ALL of our junk food. If its not in front of me, I won't eat it. No more late night nachos, or sugar filled cereal. I am trying to substitute everything unhealthy in our diet with something healthy.

My challenge is when I work. I work nights, 6pm to 6am. I cannot figure out how to balance my diet with my work schedule. Do I eat all night then not eat the next day? Do I still try to eat dinner before I leave and not eat all night while I work? I just don't know when to eat dinner? Any suggestions? I have used snacking as a way to stay awake. I WILL be stopping that. Last time I worked, I got tired about 2am, and instead of making my usual 2 am toast and mountain dew, I grabbed a cup of ice chips and snacked my heart out on them.

I am feeling great and loving it!

2010

I am very excited about this coming year.I am so excited to watch Payton grow and learn this year. He is such a joy to us, and we love seeing him learn new things every day. I have several goal and "resolutions" that I have made, which I am very motivated to achieve.

In the past my attempt to achieve goals has been more successful when I write them down, and share them with others. That way, I feel like it is more concrete, and not just a thought in my mind. Because of this, I have decided to share one of my very important goals on my blog, that way those of you reading can see updates on my progress and help motivate me.

I want to loose my "nursing school" and "baby" weight. I started nursing school about a month after getting married. Between the life changes marriage brings, the stress of nursing school, and lack of time, I put on some weight (20ish lbs) After graduating nursing school, I began to try to loose it. After losing a few punds (5 I think), I found out I was pregnant, and as a result I gained more weight. I gained more then I had expected, totaling 44 lbs gained during pregnancy. From nursing I lost 35lbs easily...but nursing does not seem to be helping me loose anymore. I am currently 6-7 lbs away from my prepregnant weight. Once I reach my prepregnant weight, I hope to loose another 25-30lbs. I know my body, and am very realistic, so I am setting goals according to that. I hope to achieve this 35ish lbs weight loss goal by Payton's 1 year birthday, July 27th (this is about 1 lb a week...which is reasonable for me).

How I will achieve it: I believe that making a plan is just as important as setting a goal.

• Eating healthier: Since I am breastfeeding, I cannot cut my calories way down, so instead I need to find healthier choices to fill the calories with. We have gotten into a habit of finding "quick" and "easy" foods, AKA. unhealthy, processed junk. When I plan and make a meal schedule, I eat much better. I also save money by following a strict grocery list. It will take more planning and is more time consuming, but I know when I eat healthier, I feel better. I want Payton to grow up eating right, and I know it needs to start now, with me and Devry.
• Exercise: I have always been very active, and involved alot in sports (basketball and swimming especially). I am very out of shape right now, and miss being able to enjoy exercise. Right now, it is painful to exercise. I hate this feeling of being out of shape. I enjoy running, but cannot do it in the wintertime. For now, I will be doing several different forms of exercise. 1. Zumba - a wonderful dance aerobics type class that I attend 2-3 times per week. 2. Eliptical - I have one, and need to use it more. 3. P90X - Devry bought me all the tools for p90X for Christmas, and we should be getting the discs very soon. I want to use it mostly for toning 4. Swimming - I know this won't happen as often as I would like, but I am going to try to swim. It involves me going to the school, which is much more time consuming, but I really enjoy swimming, and think it is the best exercise. 5. personal trainer - I am fortunate enough to have access to a FREE personal trainer as long as I am a student. I want to take advantage of it before I graduate. I will try to set up weekly sessions with one to help assess where I am at. I will sign up for a 10K race sometime this summer, and once the weather is nice I will train for it by running outside.

My motivation for achieving this goal is primarily so I feel healthier, and better about myself. But also, it is for my family. I want to start healthy habits of eating right and exercising now so that it becomes part of our daily lives. I have always played on teams, which is often where my motivation came from. I have had a challenge pushing myself the way I was pushed by a coach or teammate. I want to change this. I want to motivate myself, but also be able to turn to family and friends for support.

I know I can achieve my goal. I know it will take daily decisions and changes to get there, but I am ready for it!

Happy Birthday Devry!

Devry turned 25 on December 28th! We had a fun time celebrating at his parents house with family. We all enjoyed cake, brownies and ice cream.

Trey helped him blow out his candles.

I am so thankful for such a wonderful husband. He is so kind and thoughtful, and takes such great care of Payton and me. Happy Birthday Devry!!