Innocent!!!

Yesterday was our cardiologist appointment, along with a few other appointments.

First we took the boys back into the hallway, they spied dum dum lollipops, and stickers. I kid you not, Gabe said, "Oh they have treats here. It's not so bad."

We went into a room, I was so glad they didn't split them up, and first Julian got a chest x-ray, while Gabe got an EKG. Julian did SO great for the x-ray cooperated, and was really hoping to see his own bones. He was also pretty excited to see Gabe's heartbeat on the EKG machine. Gabe, however, did not like the whole EKG process. The sticky things, the leads going everywhere. He was a little freaked out. And he DID.NOT.WANT.TO.SEE.HIS.BONES. So I took him back for the x-ray, and he did such a good job!! Followed instructions and tried his best not to wiggle. He too was excited, though, to see Julian's heartbeat on the EKG machine. I think it helps that during Sacrament meeting on Sunday Barry was drawing the heartbeat picture.



After that, the boys got to pick a TREASURE out of the TREASURE CHEST. Dude. Sticky hands FOR THE WIN! We then went into the room to wait for the cardiologist. Turns out, it was the same guy that taught the pediatric cardiology for DMU! He was so nice, and so good with the boys, and listened to their heartbeats for a while before he said that Julian's murmur was totally innocent, and he is discharged! Booyah! Gabe's too is innocent, but since he's had it since such a young age, he wants him back in a year just to make sure it hasn't changed, but that he'll probably be discharged in a year! Booyah again! So relieved. So excited. Such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Prayers were answered, my boys are healthy!

Speaking of healthy. Owen had his 6 month appointment yesterday. He is weighing 20 lbs 11.5 oz and 28 inches tall! He's 93% for both. His head is measuring 99% (again, not entirely surprised, it's those Palizzi genes!) He looked really good, and is developing right on for his age. He was way madder when the doctor was trying to look in his ears, than he was when he got his shots! Such a little trooper.

Boys + Dirt

We started our 'garden' this year. Probably late, but whateves. We are definitely not relying on this as our sole source of food. Last year we had a big garden, and it failed, or I failed or something. In my defense, it was hard to be weeding being in my 3rd trimester.

Anyhoots, this time we're just growing things that are relatively easy, and will be easy to visualize the growth.

Here you have it. Our garden, for now. Once they get bigger we'll obviously transfer them to our little garden plot.

Pumpkins, pumpkins, sunflowers, sunflowers, and (for me) cilantro.


I'm really not sure when he grew up. But he's certainly not a baby any more.


They weren't too excited about me taking pictures. But they're cute.


Wish us luck! I hope that we are able to grow some sunflowers this year, and get some big pumpkins for the fall! And please, oh, please, let my cilantro thrive. I'm sick of spending money on Cilantro every week!

Fine Art-What?!

So I have all of these pictures on my computer. Seriously, a lot. And I had no idea what to do with them, how to share them, or if I even wanted to.

Well as it turns out, I DO want to. I want to share them with everyone. So they're for sale.

In my Etsy.

Lola Cate

If you see something in the shop, and use the coupon code BLOGGER it will get you 10% off!

My baby boy!

He's 6 months old. 1/2 a year. .5 How in the world did it happen so fast?

We go next week for his 6 month appointment, on the 11th. It's going to be a super busy day full of doctors appointments and procedures for all of my boys (stay with me, I'll fill you in.)

For his 1/2 birthday, Owen got to eat sweet potatoes! And to say that he loved them would be an understatement. He chowed down! It's a good thing I bought a rather large sweet potato for him.

He's now rolling EVERYWHERE. And starting to scoot. Folks, my baby, is semi-mobile. And it's breaking my heart!

He's laughy, at Julian or Gabriel. He tolerates me, but they're definitely his favorites.

He's moved solidly, into 6-12 month clothes. I still squeeze his fatness into 3-6 month onesies once in a while, mostly because we don't have any 6-12 long sleeves, and it's pointless to buy them at this point.

Sleep has become a sore subject for me lately. He's been really super, duper snotty, and not sleeping well. I can't really blame him, I suck at sleep when I'm congested. But it's getting old having to wake up a million times, or sleep in the recliner. It's one thing when a baby is a newborn, they're expected to wake up and eat, and snuggle, and get changed. But once they consistently demonstrate the ability to sleep solidly, and then stop? Whoa man. It's like getting hit by a truck, or so I think.

Here's the ONE good shot we got from his 6 month shoot. He was not feeling a photo shoot, and was crabby and snotty, and drooly (obviously.) Still no teeth!



Now about the 11th.

First a little back story. Gabe's always had a heart murmur. We were told it was an innocent murmur, and shouldn't have any impact on his life. Julian? Never once has any one said that they've heard a murmur, except when he was first, first, first born, like within 24 hours, and by the time we left the hospital it was gone. Super common for newBs. Anyway, at the boys 3 & 5 year appointments, the doctor heard Gabe's, obviously, and also heard a faint one in Julian. Now it's probably nothing. But on the 11th, both boys are scheduled for echocardiograms. I explained to them that they were going to get an ultrasound (I actually said, "Remember how we got to see Baby Owen in mommy's tummy? They're going to use the same machine, to take pictures of your heart! How cool is that?"), and that it was going to be cool. But I'm still a little freaked. So I could really use some prayers to calm down, and that everything is going to be ok.

Thanks!

We're Back.

So uhm, it's almost been a MONTH since my last blog post! OY!

WE're back, in Iowa, and adjusting well to our 'real life' :)

Owen has been starting the night in his crib, every night, and then at about 2 he gets cold or lonely and comes to bed with us. We love him. And it's so hard to believe he's almost SIX months old! He's a rolling machine, still toothless, and FULL of baby germs.




I had Julian's parent teacher conferences yesterday. He's doing really well, and totally ready for Kindergarten! Sigh, when did my first baby get SO big? He's really smart, and still loves Legos, and building. He keeps telling me he is going to be a builder like Grandpa Bob. He's a sweet boy, most of the time ;)



Gabriel is as sweet as ever. So sharing and caring, and nice. He's so abnormal that way, for a three year old. He's always giving me hugs and kisses, or running inside from the backyard (yay for sunny days) and just saying "I love you Mommy." He literally makes me swoon.



I did a total of five family photo shoots while I was in Washington. It was so much fun. I'm getting excited to expand my clientele in Iowa, and eager to finish my classes! If you're interested in a family shoot for a discounted rate (in Iowa) email me Christia.palizzi.photography@gmail.com and I'll hook you up!

I also started selling Scentsy. My little sister is a consultant, and I really love the product, so I decided to start selling it too! My website for that is Christia's Scentsy. Right now there's an "Introduction to Scentsy" party up on my site. If you purchase from that party, your name will be entered to win a warmer and bar of your choice! Awesome!

Where has the time gone?

My baby turned FIVE months today. It's so hard to believe. He's such a sweet boy. On Saturday, after a week of some gooey looking eyes when he woke up, he spiked a fever. It was low-grade, 99.4 but still. After the eye goo, we weren't taking any chances. So we brought him to our old pediatrician (shout out to Evergreen Children's Clinic) at their after-hours clinic on Saturday afternoon. The sweet, smiley boy was diagnosed with a double ear infection. Honestly, after dealing with Gabriel's frequent ear infections, I was a little shocked that this was the diagnosis. Owen never stopped smiling, his fever was SO low (compared to Gabe's 103 ear infection temp), and was just totally normal, minus the gooey eye. After 2 days of antibiotics, he's 100% back to normal, and smiling even more! And laughing so much. He loves him some grandma and grandpa.

I've failed in my goal of making a shirt for every month. I just didn't have access to a sewing machine. :( I guess 11/12 months isn't soooo bad. We had a little photo shoot on the couch today. He was SO hammy.



I will eat the couch. Watch me.




Hambone!


Love his little hands & his tiny birthmark



His new skillz. He loves to blow bubbles, and make funny noises that are constantly making his big brothers laugh.


Baby's trying to eat me!


At 5 month he weighs about 18 lbs. He CAN roll, but rarely does. He is ALMOST sitting up on his own, well he technically can, but then falls over after not very long. He wears 3-6 month clothes, but they're getting small, so we're moving into the 6-9 which are still pretty big. He sleeps through the night 5 nights out of 7. I just gave him some oatmeal over this past weekend and he wasn't super convinced, so I'm going to hold off again. He just seemed so interested in our food, that I thought he was ready, but I guess not. He's still the most delightful baby I've ever had the pleasure of raising.

My New Love.

So awhile back, my BFF Stacy Jacobsen posted on Facebook about a concert for a happy music artist. Those of you that know me, know that I LOVE Lisa Loeb. I've loved her since I first heard the song Stay. I also quite enjoy music that makes me happy, and bubbly, and whimsical, and just positive. Enter Mindy Gledhill.

It just so happened that we would be in town for the concert, so I wrote Stace that I wanted to go! It was to be a double date. Then Barry said he didn't REALLY want to go. Brad so graciously said that he would stay home with their kids so Stace and I could have a date. And then? Stacy got the plague. She was too sick to go. Luckily my little sister said she would go, never, ever even hearing of the singer. She actually really enjoyed the concert though! So score one for the happy music person.

We went to Mexican for dinner, and man. Iowa just doesn't do Mexican like Washington.

The BEST Chips & Salsa ever.




This picture makes me HUNGRY!


My sister-(Everyone comment on how much we look alike, she just LOVES to hear that.)



Me & the new hair the day-of


How can you not like someone that plays the keytar? I mean seriously.


I'm seriously inspired by Mindy's lyrics. One of my favorite songs is All About Your Heart. Check her out. Become a fan of hers on Facebook Here. It's super rare to go to a concert and have the singer's voice sound EXACTLY like or better than you hear on the CD! She's amazing, adorable, humble and kind.