How I Love This Stage

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A New Venture

Well, the Brice Family is looking into starting a new venture in life.  We've owned the catering business for around 5 years and life has been tough! We're not afraid of hard work, but when you don't get paid for it (or at least not enough to live off of) it gets a little old after 5 years.  :P Adam and his Mom have worked so hard to try and make this work everyday and Adam has had to turn around and work a night job, often times having to try to stay awake all night in order for us to survive and then starting over the next day.  I don't know how he's done it.  I sure could not have.  But, it's getting hard on him and only going to get harder with age.  :) He's ready to go back to school.  He's done with the food industry and ready to move on to the medical field.  He'll need all four year years of college before he can start his training as a PA (Physician Assistant), which will be just 2 more years.  It doesn't involve medical school so that will be nice.  For starters, he's going to become an EMT and drive ambulances around for a while.  This is only a 9 week course and doesn't need any college before he starts.  After a year, he can do the paramedic training.  He needs to have three years of experience doing this before he can do the PA, so it'll work about perfect by the time he's done with his 4 years of regular college.  The company he works for now helps pay for part of the college, so that will be nice.  This is the goal.  How long it'll really take, who knows.  When will he be able to start, who knows.  He's ready to start right now! BUT, what to do with the catering? Hopefully, it'll work out to be able to sell it, but it'll take just the right kind of person.  We hope and pray that this will go as quickly, smoothly, and pain-free as possible.  It's time for a change.  :) We are excited! Sorry, if this comes as a shock to whoever reads this.  :) 

Twins :)

Sorry, bad quality here.  It's in a picture frame.  This is Nolan at 3 months.  Kinda looks similar to Parker in the picture below, ya think?

2 Month Check-Up

Today was Parker's 2 month check-up.  He's 21 1/2" long and 9 lbs. 15 oz.  He's in the 1% for his height, 4% for his weight and 59% for his head.  :) So, he's a little on the small side, but the Dr. says he's proportionate and following the curve he needs to.  He didn't care for those nasty immunizations and cried for a few seconds and then looked me square in the face and just told me all about it in his sweet little complainer voice.  He forgave me though. 

Smiley Face

I could just stare at this face all day! His smiles and coos brighten my day.  At night, sometimes we just sit on the bed and talk to each other for a couple of hours before I decide it's time for bed.  He is so much fun.  Today we took Parker to the metabolic center for hopefully the last time.  The doctor wanted to do the enzyme test to make sure he doesn't have VLCAD.  The doctor is really kinda funny.  He's not like any other doctor I know.  He doesn't seem to ever be in a hurry to get out the door to the next patient.  He likes to explain things and make sure we understand what's going on.  He has a funny sense of humor.  We talked for a while about how in 30 years down the road, things will be so advanced to where we could pay $150, or whatever to have our whole chromosome/gene information analyzed for us, so we know which ones are mutated, etc.  Kinda funny.  As funny as he was, like he said, he is not the type of doctor we want to get to know.  :) Hopefully, the last time we'll see him.  I can't believe how well Parker did.  Again.  When they drew his blood, not a peep came out of his mouth.  He just goes with the flow.  Thursday we have to go to the regular pediatrician.  Already time for his 2 month immunizations.  Oh boy! :(

Talkin To Brother

He was starting to coo and talk to me in Relief Society today.  He's already 2 months old tomorrow.  I can't believe it. 

I Love Her Being 3!

 

She has been an angel all week. 3 must be the magic number for her. I have struggled with this girl for the past 6 months. Lots of battles over EVERYTHING.  Tantrums left and right.  When she has her mind set a certain way, there is no changing it! I had her pretty well potty trained before Parker, but the last two months she pretty much wet herself every time! Didn't even bother her! She has done so well this week.  Not perfect, but a HUGE improvement! She'll go all on her own again, which she refused to do for the last couple of months.  Sometimes I still remind her, but can't give it too much attention or I'm afraid she'll go downhill again.  She has to decide that she's ready and she can do it! Her strong personality amazes me! When she gets to talking at the dinner table or anywhere, her voice drowns out anyone elses.  I can't even explain how crazy the bedtime battles have been.  Sometimes I'm surprised that the police didn't show up at our house with how loud she would be screaming.  I consider myself a pretty patient person, but she sure knew how to test it! As long as I give her some unwinding time and snuggles, she goes to bed very well now.  I know I shouldn't hold my breath, but I am!
I still have to blog her birthday, but we got her a little nursery set for her babies.  She LOVES it! I would have loved something like that when I was her age.  She is such a sweet little mommy to her baby dolls.  She is such a good little helper with Parker too.  This week she was "babysitting" Parker while I was in the shower.  I told her if he starts crying to put the pacifier in his mouth.  I put him in his little jungle gym, play mat thingy.  When I came out, he was as happy as could be.  She had gone to get his blanket and had him all wrapped up.  So sweet.
I told Annika when she turned 3 we would get her in gymnastics like Nolan.  She's had to watch for the past 3 years and now it's her turn.  I've had to stall this last month, but now Adam's back to working 6 nights a week, so maybe starting March we'll sign her up.
The weather's been so nice lately, we've been able to get out more and more.  Annika loves the park! I think she could stay there all day and still not be ready to come home!
Remember my last major project of making those ruffled bags? I ended up having to make one more.  Well, I thought I had caught a break, but nope! Not a week later, I'm now on to making around 300-400 bows for a store.  They're just simple small ones, but this should keep me busy for the next couple of weeks.  I am so grateful to have this hobby that's not only fun and pays for itself, but is now keeping me as busy as I really am capable of being, on top of doing hair, and I'm earning a decent amount of money for trying to stay at home and take care of 3 kids at the same time.  I've really been getting a lot busier with hair appointments too in the past year! I am soooooooooooooooooooo grateful that I was able to go to cosmetology school while I was in high school so I could have this way of helping bring in $ and doing what I love to do! Not only that, but the money we've been able to save by me being able to cut Adam's and the kids hair have been so worth it! Thank you to my family for helping make that dream possible!

8 weeks old

I can't believe he's already 8 weeks old! But then again, I forget what my life was like without him! I love this little boy.  He's been giving me more and more smiles each day.  And more and more burp ups as you can see from his shirt.  :P When he gets too excited, up it comes! Whenever I heard moms tell stories about their babies sleeping through the night by 2 months, I thought they were kidding.  How could that be? Nolan was like over a year before he started sleeping through the night.  Well, this past week, I've been getting some good sleep.  At 7 weeks, he slept through the night two nights in a row.  A good 6 hours the first night and close to 7 or 8 hours the next night.  The next two nights he only woke up once and then the next night he slept another 6 hours straight.  Last night he woke up once.  Amazing! He's definitely growing.  Almost out of his newborn clothes.  :( He has incredible strength in his legs.  He just loves to stand and has been for the past month.  He holds up his head very well too.  Why does my baby want to grow up already? He needs to stay a baby forever! :)

We received some good news today.  The metabolic center called and told us Parker doesn't have 2 copies of the mutated gene, but just one copy.  So, he doesn't have VLCAD...probably.  BUT, they still want to do the bloodwork for the enzyme test to make sure of something yadayada...UGH! But, we can almost be certain that he doesn't have it. 

3 Little Angels

Close your eyes, Parker! Haha.  Maybe we'll have to try again tomorrow...

Blessing Day

This sweet little boy had his blessing day today.  It was a beautiful blessing.  He has such a strong spirit about him and I am so proud to be his Mommy.  It will be fun to watch him grow and see the great things he does throughout his life.  Such a sweet little boy.  I didn't quite get the perfect picture.  We fought with the lighting, everyone looks a little blue in the gills.  But, oh well. 

Parker Today

Parker's Birth

I have many pictures to catch up on, but can't seem to find the time to do it all at once. So, let me start with Parker's birth.
We arrived at the Sutter Roseville hospital at 5:30 a.m., December 18th.  Before we had left, Adam gave me a blessing.  I felt so calm and at peace during the drive down and while getting prepped to have the baby.  Even while in surgery, actually.  Dr. Sweeney arrived a few minutes before 7:30 a.m.  She told me that Dr. Kwong (the same Dr. who delivered Annika) would be her assisstant.  I really liked that Dr. as well.  She put me back together nicely.  :)  

Getting ready to meet baby Parker

Parker was very pale when he was born.  My placenta was pretty well shredded and he may not have been getting the nutrients he needed for a little while.  We did manage to have a baby with no cord wrapped around their neck though! 

This was the first of my babies they actually let me somewhat snuggle before doing the tests.  Usually they rush the baby off before I can even get a look at him/her.  I loved it. 

6 lbs. even, 18 in. long

Here I am all put back together and in recovery.  I was very sleepy, but they let me hold my baby as soon as I wanted and woke up a little.  With the other two, I couldn't hold them until after they were bathed.  I had a very good anesthesiologist, the best, they said.  It took a while before I could feel anything.  I still am so amazed at how easy this c-section was compared to my other two.  Even when I wasn't numb anymore, I was not in pain.  I kept waiting and waiting for the pain to hit and it didn't.  The nurses kept asking if I needed pain medicine.  I said no.  I felt great! For over 24 hours.  Soon, I was going to need to get up to start walking.  So, I decided I better take some medicine before I did that.  I had no trouble getting up to walk the first time.  I barely was even dizzy.  So different this time.  I felt very blessed.  My pain never did get out of hand in the hospital.  I was a little uncomfortable, but not bad. 

Parker getting bathed

He loved it!

His hair is so light compared to my other two babies.  Kinda funny.  Finally, getting a little color to him. 

What a little angel...

Proud big brother!

Aunt Jeanna came to visit too

Love

Annika is now a big sister

Aunt Jenny and Grandma came to help out.  I am so grateful!

Grandma and Grandpa Eddenfield

Uncle Spence

Loved these beautiful roses! They were huge!

This is how they reacted to changing a newborn's diaper...

Another son to love!

I love this one...

Time to go home

Parker will be 7 weeks on Tuesday. He's still as sweet as he was when he was born. He barely lets out a peep unless he's hungry. He loves watching all the action going on around him. He sleeps right through all the loudness in our house. It is rarely quiet until after the kids go to bed. He seems to know that's when he gets Mommy all to himself and that seems to be his most alert time of day. Sometimes we play and snuggle till after midnight. I am tired, but so happy to be his Mommy. To be continued SOON!