Our Valentine's Day

Kason is full of life right now. He is a busy-body, always wanting to do something. He is totally content to be outside for hours and hours. It’s pretty boring when he’s home with Mom and Kolay, since it is still a little too cold for Kolay most days.  He loves to sit on Horsey Kate in the backyard. On Sunday, Kolt actually found Kason and Brooke in the corral feeding hay to Kate. We are glad they were okay and that Kate is so good with kids. Kason definitely has to be under close watch outside! Kason still loves his morning pancakes. That is always his best meal of the day. Throughout the day, we can convince him to take a break from his busy schedule to eat yogurt, string cheese, shredded cheese, bananas, oranges, or apples.  His favorite “nacks” (snacks) are “nandy” (candy) and “teem” (whipped cream). He loves his usual squirt of whipped cream on his pancakes in the morning. His toughest job is to make sure that Kolay’s binky is in her mouth. Since we have 1:00 church, Kason has started taking naps around 10 AM, and going to bed between 7 and 8 at nights.  It’s been a tough transition because he is usually ready for a second nap in the late afternoon, but then has a hard time going to bed at nights.  Kason’s favorite show is still Super Why.  He started sounding out letters this week and repeats numbers to 10.  He loves repeating words and will echo everything you say.  He can officially say all 8 of his cousins’ names. 

Kolay has already taken on the role of peacemaker at our home. She is pretty easy going and always brings out the best in everyone. She smiles and smiles now. It is adorable. She is great to go to anyone and is also great to lie in her chair or bassinet to let her mom keep up with Kason at home. She is really good at holding up her head and is getting better at sitting in the Bumbo. She is officially a roller already! She rolls from her belly to back pretty consistently. The first time she rolled over was last Saturday and today she did it several times in a row. She is so patient with her brother’s acts of love, which sometimes end up being a one-sided wrestling match. She is still on a great 3-hour schedule in the day and 6 hour schedule at night. Kolay had her 2-month appointment this week! She weighed in at 10 pounds 14 ounces (45%) and measured 22.5 inches (58%) with a 15.25 in head (72%).  She still has her belly button hernia, but the doctor said it’s healing well.  Her eczema rash is all gone! ‘nkShe got her first round of immunizations and was really tough! Kason and Kolt stepped outside during her shots, so I stayed in with her alone. I really like having Kolt in with me during the shots to make me feel tougher, but I really didn’t want Kason to see the shots more. Kolay had one oral immunization; as the nurse was telling me that she was sucking it better than most 2-month olds, I realized that that was the first thing she had had besides breastfeeding. She still hasn’t even had a bottle (which will change soon as Kolt and I really want to attend a temple session before it closes in March). Kolay barely teared up when she got the shots and was soothed about 10 seconds later and never fussed again. She didn’t even need Tylenol when she got the shots. I contribute her toughness to the fact that she has an older brother who toughens her up on a daily basis. We are pretty impressed with our baby girl!

Monday Kolt shadowed in the morning, and I worked in the afternoon. Kolt is learning a lot from his shadowing with Scott. Scott is great to explain things to him and let him do some hands on things.  Kolay is great to come to work with me still. She sleeps most of the time, and I put her chair underneath my desk, so I can rock her with my foot for hours. She is pretty content and also loves to lay on my desk and kick. After work, we drove to Sugar City to visit my Grandpa & Grandma Dalling.  They were great to visit with! They got to meet Kolay for the first time, and Kason liked visiting with Grandpa.  Grandpa talked to us a little bit about his service as mayor of Sugar City, and we visited and laughed a lot about raising kids.  I played volleyball again afterwards in Rexburg. The kids did much better this time for Kolt. Playing a little earlier in the evening seems to be better for both kids.

Tuesday Kolt had classes and the kids and I stayed home for the day.  Kolt has been working really hard in his classes.  He is taking Abnormal Psychology, Organic Evolution, Pathobiology, a Senior Seminar, and Medical Terminology. He only has 10 hours of in-class time because a couple of the classes are online.  Although he doesn’t have much class time each week, you would never know the difference. He has been spending nearly 12 hours at school on Tuesday and Thursday, the days I don’t work.  During those days, he does most of the week’s homework and lectures online.  He is a diligent student and never misses class or homework. On Tuesday evening, the kids and I met Grandpa Lindley at Grandma’s basketball game at RMMS.

Wednesday evening we went to Brand’s last basketball game. The kids got valentines from Grandma & Grandpa Piquet.  Kason loves his dog valentines! Kason wasn’t feeling good with a bit of a cough and upset stomach. Right after the game, I had volleyball practice in the gym. Trish watched Kolay again, and Kason went home with Kolt. Kolt was also feeling pretty sick today as well.  Last Friday, he went to the doctor and got an antibiotic to try to kick a nasty cough and congestion.  He has been coughing and coughing for a couple weeks now, and Kason and Kolay have both started it.  Unfortunately the antibiotic hasn’t been helping, so it must be viral. His back has also started to spasm enough that he can hardly walk or move without serious pain.  He was able to get a muscle relaxer to help him through a few miserable days. We have spent the last week heating, sitting in the hot tub, doing lower back stretches and strengthening his muscles until he finally feels better. It has been a crazy thing—he can’t figure out what made it upset, maybe coughing too much or shooting hoops with Brand outside that afternoon, but he seems to be doing much better now!

On Thursday, Kolt has class and homework most of the day. I taught Evan his piano lesson; he keeps amazing me. He’s a quick learner and practices every week.  In the evening, we went to Grandma’s basketball game again with Grandpa. On Friday, we went to Kolay’s doctor appointment and I worked. Kolt stayed home with Kason. It was a pretty routine day! In the evening, before it got too cold, we took the kids for a walk. Kason loved the park. I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time there this summer! Friday evening, Paisley, Landon  & Shauna came to bring us Valentine cupcakes. Kason and Paisley enjoyed playing together while we visited, and Kolay snuggled with Shauna and Landon.

Saturday was Valentine’s Day! Kolt surprised me with a dozen red roses, my favorite frosted sugar cookies, and a Roku stick. He is so good at listening to the things I tell him about and surprising me with them on the holidays. I am very lucky to have him as my valentine.  I surprised Kolt with sticky notes on the bathroom mirror in the shape of a heart with all the things I love about him. The kids made a valentine craft for their mommy. It’s a LOVE board that has Kason’s handprint as the “O” and Kolays’ footprints as the “V”. Thank you Pinterest! It turned out great! In the evening, Kason stayed with Tatelyn Hill while Kolt and I went to Macey’s Homecoming dinner and Stake Conference.  Kason did great at home. He loves Tate and was saying her name all the way to pick her up.  Tate fed him lots for dinner and then let him eat cupcakes for dessert.  We had a great time visiting with Macey at her dinner. Returned missionaries have such a special spirit; it was great to be around her. Aunt Jan spoiled us by holding Kolay for most of the time we were there! We then hurried to the Stake Adult Session of Conference. It is always one of my favorite meetings.  I was really touched by a talk from the mission president’s wife in our area. I can’t even remember the theme of her talk, but I remember her mentioning that sometimes our homes are “Celestial Chaos”. I loved that. I feel like that often right now, but it really is Celestial. I love being home with my kids; it really is a heaven on earth at our home.  We also were instructed to “redouble” our efforts in attending the temple even with it being closed for a year and half. I have been thinking a lot about what that means and how we can do that. I also spent a lot of time thinking of my Grandpa Lindley who passed away on Valentine’s Day a few years ago. I am always amazed at the many things he accomplished in life and the love he had for his family. He will always be missed, and I can’t wait to see him again someday.

Sunday morning we attended Macey’s mission report in her ward at 9 AM.  She did a great job. We had an interesting meeting. Right during her talk, Kason started choking on a piece of cereal. Combined with his cough and the cereal blocking off his air, he choked pretty good and threw up as I was leaving the meeting. He was pretty upset after that, and it was pretty scary for mommy. On the way to our Stake Conference (we had to leave a little early to make it), we decided to take Kason home and let him sleep. He crashed as soon as we got there around 10:15.  I went to Stake Conference for the first half and then traded Kolt and let him go the second half. It was an interesting day! We had a nice dinner with the Lindley’s in the afternoon. Kason loves playing with his cousins.