Summer Day 4

With no swim team practice this morning, the day started LAZY ... I even had to wake a few of the girls to get things moving!! We started the day with a trip to the bowling alley with the Wilsons! An hour of bowling finished off with pizza and root beer made for the perfect morning :)

Cougar

Alex

Amanda

Kendyl

Kayla

Ashton

Brinley

Of course, we had to spend some time in the arcade, too. I love that they were thoroughly entertained without actually paying to play a single game!!









After a break at home, we headed to Krispy Kreme to celebrate National Doughnut Day with free doughnuts!








Next, we hit Costco and bought every snack that they carry so we can start our summer snack buckets on Monday - YAY! After a quick trip to drop a smoothie off to a friend who had his tonsils out on Wednesday, it was home for some pickup and some Wii time ... Just Dance 2 *WOO HOO*


After a super speedy dinner mac & cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches for the kiddos, Steve and I snuck away for dinner at Rubio's followed by frozen yogurt. It was the perfect start to the first weekend of summer 2011!!

Our Own Jack Sparrow

We knew that having a boy after 3 girls would be a whole new experience, but I don't know that you can ever be fully prepared for just what those differences may be. Cougar keeps us on our toes and I can't begin to relate even PART of the funny/tragic things that he has done over the course of his brief 3 1/2 years with us!!! I wish I had been better about writing them down but that's a story for another day ...

Anyhow - after weeks of changing his mind about what he wanted to be for Halloween he finally settled on being a pirate. We knew it was ok to think about buying an actual costume when he declared the same choice 3 days in a row. Nevermind it was the Monday before Halloween. I scored the last pirate costume in his size on the cheap *YAY* and topped it off with a sword and eyepatch. I'm pretty sure the sword was all it would have taken to make the boy happy.

You've never seen a more enthusiastic pirate than ours. He and that sword have been inseparable for days now. He actually broke it as he got in the car on the way to his preschool Halloween party and was heartbroken when I told him he would have to leave it at home so we could fix it. "But pirates have swords," he said with the poutiest lip ... ripped my heart right out. I headed straight to Target for super glue and a new sword. All was well with the world after his party when he realized he might actually have TWO swords to play with {and the new sword also came with a hook for his other hand ... be still his heart!!}!

Here are just a few pics that I snapped before his party - they kill me. His personality really shines in them. My fave is the one with his tongue up his nose ... he does that constantly. Gross.

Lastly, a video of him singing a song he learned in preschool. He got most of the words right and then did a little ad lib to finish things out.

** In case you can't quite understand it's supposed to say:
I'm a mean old witch with a hat, and I ride on my broom with my cat. My chin is pointed and my shoes are, too, and you better watch out 'cuz I might scare you. I'm a mean old witch with a hat ... BOO!!

Happy Halloween Weekend ... we've got our ward Trunk or Treat tomorrow so I'm sure there will be more pics to come!

Middle School Mama

First I have to say thanks so much for all of the sweet comments that have been left or e-mailed to me ... you sure know how to make a crazy girl feel the love!! I hope my reentry didn't leave you feeling like I was in the bottom of some dark abyss - it never got that bad ;) Life is fabulous most of the time and the rest of the time it is the pits or somewhere blissfully in between ... like everyone else's.

Last week met us with another milestone in our house - Middle School. That's right ... summer is over {in the blink of an eye} and the kiddos are back in school (can I get a little WOO HOO? We really did have a great summer but it was time for ALL of us ... the kids miss it just as much as I do)!!! Brinley has stepped up to the big leagues of Middle School. I'll be honest - I've been dreading it for at least 9 months. The mere idea of the new campus, administrators and teachers I didn't know, lockers, "tween" clothing {including training bras}, cruelty, language, "outside influences", etc. were enough to make this mama want to lock her up and homeschool her!! That, however, would never be an option for me because she is too passionate about school (and I couldn't do the homeschool thing ... having been a public school teacher). Toward the end of 5th grade I started to notice her attitude toward "moving up" become more nervous and I was afraid that my own fears were rubbing off on her - yikes. A change of attitude {for both of us}, 2 tours of the school during open houses, some fun school shopping for clothes and the MANY school supplies required by the middle school and we were both feeling much better. She dove right in last Monday and is loving the whole thing. She was accepted into the honors program so she has the same group of kids in her 5 core classes ... some of which she knows from her elementary school. She has a few friends in her homeroom class, too, which was comforting to find out. She's got a group of girls that she eats lunch with every day (I had nightmares of her sitting alone in the cafeteria). She got into band and has decided to play the french horn which, by the way, is one of the most expensive instruments to rent or buy ... just learned that last night. Ugh. Tonight she announced that she wants to run for Student Council which is awesome - she's a great leader. The kicker about that? She can start hanging posters and campaigning on Monday and has to have a speech ready for approval on Monday ... and I have to teach Relief Society on Sunday. How in the world am I supposed to have the time to work on a campaign over the weekend?!? No sleep is the only answer, unfortunately.

Now so you don't think she's the ONLY one who started school last week I should mention the other munchkins. Ashton is in 4th grade this year and Kendyl is in 1st grade. I am the luckiest lady around because they both got the teachers that I wanted them to ... both of which we have had before!! I am thrilled to work with these ladies again and plan to do some extra "spoiling" just cuz I love 'em. Kendyl's teacher is actually the one that I babysat for after she had her first baby so there is an extra special connection there ;) Both of them are doing exceptionally well and are loving being back in the classroom.

And now a photo of the girlies ... with a preview of my new product releasing in my shop on Monday!

How about the littlest of the bunch, you ask? He started preschool two days a week! I was really torn about it, to be honest, because he is still very young and has 2 years before he will start school. What it came down to was that socially he needs to be around other kids more. He is so lonely when his sisters go back to school and while I try to plan playdates for him, it's nice for him to establish his own "routine," too. He's loving it so far and his teacher says that he is doing very well in terms of participating and focusing {when required}. Here are a few shot of him as he headed out the door on his first day:

That kid cracks me up!! Well, I think that covers our first day of school happenings ... I'm sure I could go on but that is MORE than enough for one night!!

It's September, Right?!?

One thing that seems to always hold people back from starting to scrapbook is that they feel so far behind. In my case I've got 4 children and 12 years of marriage to document - and that only takes me back to being 25!!! That's exactly how I'm feeling about my blogging right now. I didn't post a single entry in June or July. I've only posted 18 times since the beginning of the year ... and now it's September. I've missed out on writing about so many things, posting silly happenings, stresses, accomplishments, struggles, etc, yet I'm going to take a page out of my scrapbooking theory - start with the current. Don't worry about what you haven't recorded yet ... you can always come back to that.

The girls started school on August 3rd and progress reports are just around the corner. Brinley is in 5th grade and is clearly growing up. She even said that recess is SO boring now because there is nothing to do now that she is older. I've been meaning to get her into an orthodontist to see when we will be diving into that whole mess ... maybe I keep putting it off because I know how expensive it is going to be. She ended up needing glasses this year and just got them yesterday. She had been complaining about not being able to see the board clearly and sure enough - she couldn't. She is still extremely focused in school and is planning to run for student council again this year. She is still taking piano lessons, singing in the school choir, and is taking a swim stroke clinic right now. She really loves to swim and did a great job on the swim team this summer.

Ashton started the 3rd grade this year and loves it. She has a few friends in her class again this year which is always nice. She's lost a few more teeth and is starting to care a lot more about what she wears ... ugh. She got her ears pierced back in May and is always concerned about what earrings will go with her outfits. She is jumping into the world of soccer this year and will begin practice tomorrow - officially making me a "soccer mom" for the first time. She is also taking piano and singing in the school choir, too.

Kendyl is FINALLY old enough to start Kindergarten!! She misses the cutoff here by only 2 weeks, so she was really more than ready to go last year. Lucky for her she got to spend 2 years with Ms. Beckie so at least she was getting top notch preparation for her "big" school debut. She absolutely *LOVES* school! She has a wonderful teacher and even with all of the crummy state budget cuts to education she is attending all day - really a good thing for her. She has a class bunny named Chloe who gets to hop around the classroom while they do their morning work. I go in on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to check homework folders and offer my help for a few minutes. It is so fun to get to know the children in her classroom as they adjust to being in school full time. She has decided that tennis may be the sport for her (at least for this month) so she will begin lessons next week. She will probably do the swim stroke clinic in October with Brinley since it has been so fabulous. She also started taking piano lessons in August and she's learning to read music but also picks out melodies by ear! I miss having her with me on our Tuesday lunch dates with Beth, but am so glad to know she is happy to be at school.

Cougar is a mess. That boy keeps us moving at all times. He makes us laugh and scream in frustration. It became very clear the first week the girls were in school that life would be much more challenging with only one at home. I have never had only one at home his age ... I always had another by this point (and no, I will not be having another). It is a challenge, to say the least. He changes his clothes at least 3-5 times a day. His clothes are literally all over the house and it is rare to find anything in his drawers ... even if I've just put laundry away. Errand running is great but trying to get any housework done with a shadow is near impossible - I never noticed how much the girls helped to entertain him!! Well, I noticed it, but never fully APPRECIATED it until now. If I am folding laundry he is on the bed unfolding it. If I am trying to sweep he will get out another broom and mess up my pile. He loves to feel "helpful" even when his help is usually more destructive. And yet we get the best smiles and silly expressions out of him when he is on his own. Lunchtime is so much fun when Steve comes home and it is just the 3 of us. He constantly has us cracking up!! His favorite word right now is "AWESOME," and he always turns things around on you. "Cougar, pick that up." "No, YOU pick that up!!" He cries everytime someone else starts to say the prayer, so we have to let him bless every meal and offer every family prayer - even if we follow it up with someone else (who's prayer he will cry through because he is not the one offering it). He has at least one weekly playdate and is still my Tuesday lunch date buddy (along with Beth and Alex). So much fun and so much work all in one little boy!!

Steve was released from being the Young Men's President this past week and called to be 1st Counselor in the bishopric. UGH. The up side to this is he was already attending most of the meetings that he is required to attend now, so hopefully scheduling won't be that much worse - except for Sundays and an added night during the week. He was so sad to be released from YM ... he was really starting to see things moving in the right direction ... but I know he will enjoy working with the Bishop and getting to know the ward members even more. I'm so proud of him. He's always been such an amazing example to me. He drafted his Fantasy Football team this weekend and is looking forward to a great BYU Football season as well - starting with the BIG game on Saturday vs. Oklahoma. GO COUGARS!!! He is always looking for the perfect practice to buy and even tosses around the idea of opening his own. For now I am just grateful that we have a good, stable job!! He wishes he could golf more than he does and still plays basketball on Tuesday nights.

I should probably save myself for another post for fear of writing an entire novel in one sitting. Anyone who actually reads this should really receive some type of medal. Then again, I'd be surprised if anyone even bothers to check my blog anymore. I deserve it. I haven't been posting and I haven't been checking/commenting on other people's blogs. Shame on me. I just got to the point where something had to give and blogging was the easy choice. Stinks, really, since it is the one thing that connects me to the "outside" world and keeps me informed, but it is what it is. A few of my highlights (to spare you the many boring details):
* I survived Girls Camp (and even tried rappelling for the first time)
* We traveled to Utah where we hung with family and ate at all of my favorite places
* I took on a co-leader position over the hybrid creative team at ScrapMatters and also help oversee the hybrid design team
* I became a hybrid designer at ScrapMatters and opened a teeny tiny (so far) shop at SM where I am selling my designs - and will be adding more as time allows
* I got to see Wicked again this summer and especially enjoyed sharing the experience with Jill and John
* I was in charge of coordinating the 2nd birthday celebration at SM ... so much work and yet completely rewarding
* I upgraded to CS4 from PSE6 and am loving learning my new software (when I'm not cursing because I don't know how to do something)
* I am still writing tutorials for The Hybrid Chick blog once a month
* I am still serving as stake YW Secretary
* I decided to chair the hospitality committee for the PTA this year and will also be Kendyl's room mom
* I've started running again after taking too long off - schedule took over back in January and after gaining back more weight than I wanted to (who ever wants to gain weight they worked so hard to lose?) I am regaining control and hoping to find some races to motivate me
* I learned to can chicken and have 24 pints to show for it (well, 22 after giving one to a friend to try and using one for dinner tonight)
* I am headed to Utah in a few weeks to meet up with some dear cyberfriends and help out at the first Digital Scrapbooking Experience - as a TA for the amazing Jessica Sprague
* After 10 years I am no longer a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator ... bittersweet
* I can't imagine how I survived (and held it together) before my BlackBerry

I'll stop there for fear of boredom (and sensory overload with the mere IDEA that I even posted again ... let alone wrote a book). The layout of me is actually one I did months ago that I never posted - it's still one of my favorites from my JS classes. I've got a few more pages and projects to post as well as previews of the goodies in my shop, but I'll save those for another day. Feels good to be back. Seems like I said that after I got off the treadmill this morning ;)

I'n Tchew!

For weeks now the girls have been having Cougar practice -
Girls: "What is your name?"
Cougar: "Curgar" (or something slurred together like that)
Girls: "How old are you?"
Cougar: "I'n Tchew!!"

And so the day finally arrived when Cougar could tell people that he was, indeed "tchew." I know all moms say that it goes so fast and that they can't believe their baby is such and such an age, but I MEAN it!! I know my memory is shot but I really seem to have lost a good chunk of the past 2 years to nothing but the few things I've written on my blog and a folder full of about 10,000 pictures. These are the times more than ever that I wish I was one of those people that was good about carrying a little notebook around with me everywhere to record the funny things being said in the car, the not-so-funny episodes that take place in daily life, and the sheer chaos that seems to take over most days. Lucky for me I am good about keeping a calendar so I can at least go back and see what was "on the schedule" for the days gone by ;) *SIGH*

Here's an unedited photo of the day our little man marched into our lives. I DO remember that day. I was supposed to be induced on April 12th. I had to call in every hour to see if there was room for me ... which there was not - all day. I was finally told they would call me when they had an open room. I did not like the idea of having to deliver on Friday the 13th but, as luck would have it, the call came about 1:30 A.M. that we could come on down and get things started. I had to be induced with all of my kids so this was routine procedure, but I'd never been turned away for an entire day!! Off we went, leaving all of the girls at home with my mom. The picture at the end of my last post was literally taken on our way out the door. Once we got to the hospital to start my gel induction they hooked me up to the monitors to find I was already in a steady 2 minute labor pattern ... WHAT?!?! I had never gone into labor on my own and didn't even know I WAS in labor! They decided to watch my labor pattern for a while rather than do the gel and hyperstimulate my labor. This was about 4 A.M. and I got my epidural about 8 A.M. - just in time ;) I've been blessed with easy pregnancies and deliveries for the most part so I sailed right along with no complications and my doctor came in to deliver him about 2:30.

I will never forget the moment he was born. I love my doctor and we were talking and laughing about the next BYU football player entering the world. He was telling all of the nurses that our son's name was going to be Cougar and that he had the coolest BYU nursery. Every time I laughed I was literally pushing the boy out!! In fact, I didn't push a single time in order to deliver him. As his head was crowning my doctor told me to reach down and grab him ... WHAT?! He told me again and I leaned forward - as much as you can with a big pregnant belly in the way - grabbed under his arms, and pulled him out and up onto my stomach. It is a memory and feeling that could never be forgotten. *A*M*A*Z*I*N*G*

He has been smothered ever since - his sisters can't get enough of him (well, they could do without the hitting) and we're pretty smitten with him, too. He has definitely turned our world upside down and taught us that boys are WITHOUT A DOUBT wired differently than girls are. Anything round is a ball, anything with wheels is a car, anything long is a sword or gun, and EVERYTHING is meant to be thrown!!

For his big day we met Beth and Alex for lunch like we do every Monday. It was Einstein's Bagels in our rotation, which the kids love because we sit on the patio and they can play in the bushes, other tables, and planters. I snapped these on our way into lunch ... loved his Birthday Boy shirt!After running to playdates, school pick up, piano lessons, and home it was time for me to concentrate on his cake. I decided to step WAY outside my comfort zone and decorate one of those shaped cakes like you find at JoAnn's. I got a wild hair the previous Saturday when I saw a Lightning McQueen cake pan while I was out finishing up Easter shopping and decided to go for it ... I'd always wanted to learn so figured I'd jump in with both feet!! It took a long time - I had to color 9 different colors of frosting - but I was happy with the way it came out and Cougar was ECSTATIC with the results! He sat at the island saying "Kween! Kween!" and pointing with delight ;) I even changed the number on the cake to a 2 instead of Lightning's regular number of 95 - yeah, I was impressed with my freestyle!!After a fabulous dinner of grilled hot dogs ... a Cougar favorite ... it was time to light the candles and sing to our big boy. After last year's finger burning fiasco he was a bit hesitant to stare into the flames again, but after a bit of comforting and a few "practice" runs of blowing out the candles with his sisters he was ready for his big moment. I'm pretty sure he wished for some more Geotrax :)On to presents, of course. He actually enjoyed tearing the paper this year and didn't even seem to mind his Geotrax Grand Central Station being wrapped in red holly paper with Santas on the reverse side. We bought it for him for his very first Christmas and he never opened it. It went under the tree again this past Christmas but he never got around to it. We decided it was the prefect birthday gift for a 2 year old who is obsessed with Geotrax and saw no need to re-wrap it!! He also scored some Legos, an airplane, a nerf gun from Grandma & Papa, some cash from Grammy & Paca, and Great Grandma & Grandpa Taylor. Definitely a spoiled little boy!At the end of it all he couldn't wait to play with his new trains so we dug out the Grand Central Station, his other new trains, and let the boy play. He is completely enamored with his Geotrax!! We didn't even get to eat the cake that night because he was too engrossed in his trains ... it was okay with me because it gave me a few extra hours to fully appreciate my hard work!!One last feat for the day ... it was time to say goodbye to his paci. He has been my only baby to love a pacifier and *LOVED* his paci when he went to bed (which is pretty much the only time he was allowed to have one - except in case of emergency *HA*). I knew I should have taken it away MONTHS ago but Steve is a sucker ("He's the BABY!") and kept giving it to him. Yup - Steve. Really. Well, it was decided that paci would be no longer on his second birthday. We had him throw one away in the morning and he seemed okay with that. I caved and let him have on during his nap because I needed him to sleep so I could work on the cake. That night came and he asked for paci. I told him paci was all gone. He cried for 45 minutes and finally went to sleep. He hasn't asked for it since. I'll ask him where his paci is and he says "My all gone!" Now he just takes choo choos (trains) to bed with him ... and airplanes ... and legos ... and sometimes Diego. At least they won't mess up his teeth ;)

Thanks to our Troops

Today we had the opportunity for Ashton to sing at the tree lighting ceremony on a local military base. We often see military personnel around town in their uniforms but it was an awesome site to see so many of them gathered for an event like this. I watched as they stood in a long line to collect vouchers for Christmas trees that were donated and wondered what their stories were ... had they recently returned from Iraq? Were their husbands or wives deployed? Had they spent the holidays away from their families before? Were they friends with any of those soldiers who had lost their lives in the war? I noticed women standing with their children and imagined them "doing it on their own" while their husbands were deployed while I was frustrated with the idea of my husband being gone overnight. At 5:00 P.M. the national anthem began to play over the loud speakers on base and everyone turned toward the flag and those in uniform saluted while the rest of us placed our hands over our hearts in respect. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the men and women who willingly serve our country and am grateful to have had the experience to catch this glimpse of "reality."I walked out of the house without my "good" camera and was left to use my dinosaur point-and-shoot camera. It is a painful reminder that I need to get a new one!! I hate to spend the money on a P&S when I'd rather invest in new lenses and a flash for my Nikon but I love having a smaller camera to keep in the diaper bag or my purse for instances just like today ;) Perhaps I should have Santa take a look .... The choir did a fabulous job and performed for almost 45 minutes! After that the girls wanted to go over and play in the snow they had made for the celebration (with the billions of other kids). They each threw one snowball and were done - guess we truly are warm weathered!A quick follow up - Cougar went back in to the doctor today and we were told he sounds much better! He had his last dose of antibiotics and oral steroids today and only has to use his nebulizer for steroids once a day now (vs. twice) and we will only have to administer Albuterol breathing treatments as needed!! His doctor said his pneumonia was a mild case and that we caught it early so we felt very fortunate for that. She had no concerns about our upcoming trip and will order a follow up chest x-ray when we return just to make sure everything looks clear. Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes on his behalf!

A Boy and His Toys

First I must say that I know I have four kids. My blog seems to have been taken over by Cougar this past week. Guess that's because he is home with me all day, every day. Brinley and Ashton are at school most of the day and Kendyl goes to preschool twice a week. Cougar is the easiest to catch in my photo a day. I already know what I plan to photograph the next few days and it WILL include my other children (to set your minds at ease about any favoritism that I may have).

Today Steve and Cougar set up the train under our Christmas tree. We bought it years ago and it is always such a hit with not only our own children but with all who come to our house during the holidays. Last year Cougar didn't "get it." This year he went back and forth to the guest room (where we store it) bringing out pieces of track and all of the cars! I can't tell you how long he sat and watched the train go around but he sat there with wide eyes saying "choo choo" and "Danta" over and over again. Steve is just as big a kid ... he laid on the floor teaching Cougar how to control it! I *LOVE* watching these boys with their toys :)

A Sister's Love & More Holiday Happiness

Before I get to my photo for the day I have to document this: the love of a sister. Brinley shares a room with Cougar ... not always an easy thing. Since he learned to climb out of his crib the bedtime ritual has grown to include putting him BACK in his crib numerous times, locking him inside the room (since he thinks it's a game to come out of the room, tease Kendyl on the bottom bunk in the other room, and run to hide from me when I discover he has escaped). The routine went as usual tonight. When I went to unlock the door and check on them, this is what I found:Cougar had apparently climbed out of his crib one last time without coming and yanking on the door to let me know he was out. I'm sure he then climbed up to play with Brinley, tried to snuggle in, and she gave up her bed ... pillow and all ... to her brother. She never complains about having to share a room with him. In fact, she feels "lucky" that she is the one who got "chosen" to share with him. I hope one day that Cougar understands just how much his big sister loves him and is willing to sacrifice for him.

Along with the sights and sounds of the holiday season I ANXIOUSLY await one other thing ... the *tastes* of the season!! November 1st signals the shelves being covered in all things mint chocolate. Oh, how this gives me pleasure!!! Dreyer's Slow Churned Peppermint ice cream is a staple in our freezer from the first time I see it in the grocery store freezer to the day I dry my tears because it is no longer there. I lose count of the number of bags of mint M&Ms we go through this time of year. I mourned the loss of mint Kit Kats last year - I checked every store in the area for them to no avail. Oh, and did I mention Peppermint Chocolate Chip milkshakes from Chick-fil-A? Yup ... they're delish :) My ALL TIME fave this year was an unexpected find.Not only are they beyond delicious (so smooth, creamy, and perfectly minty) but they are *beautiful* ... a pearly metallic mint green color and chocolate brown. The best part about these little goodies? They are NOT only available during the holidays!!! I actually stumbled on them this summer and simply can't get enough. I'm pretty sure I buy a new package every time I am at Target (unless I already have a back-up in my pantry). The bad news about them? They are NOT only available during the holidays!!! Guess I'd better get running ... I hear my treadmill calling ;)

Santa, Baby!

I'm sitting here updating my Christmas playlist on my iPod and am thoroughly enjoying the idea of getting to listen to holiday music "guilt free" for at least a month :) I could really listen to it year round ... especially the Three Kings album by Eclipse - a definite *FAVE* (you can also download it from the iTunes store). Love me some A Capella music!!

Last year I took a photo of Cougar with a Santa hat on and it ended up being one of my favorite images from the Christmas season!! I decided to try and catch a new one this year and while he was no where near as cooperative as the little 8 month old who could do no more than sit on the stairs and look cute last year, we did have a fun time chasing each other around and hiding in the trees while trying to get him to leave the hat on long enough to snap a picture. It was great to see him laugh and smile after all the tears and screaming we've endured during breathing treatments and dispensing of meds. His playful little personality really shines through and I love that he wanted to wear -yes, he chose it- his glow-in-the-dark flaming heart shirt from Halloween ... it's the one he always picks!

Our Sickling

Cougar is definitely our most sickly child. He's gotten more junk than the girls ever seemed to get. We found out when he was 9 months old that he has a slight heart murmur that we are still monitoring. It doesn't seem to be a problem but our pediatrician listens for changes at each of his well checks ... so far, so good. He hasn't been too prone to ear infections, luckily, but runny noses and coughs seem common ground for him - especially in the "winter." Back in July I talked to his doctor about my concern over his rattly chest. He seemed to always have congestion in his chest ... rattling, wheezing, etc. He has what they call "reactive airway" which is basically what they call asthma before they can "officially" diagnose it at age 3 but does not always indicate they will indeed have asthma ... many children outgo the problem. It was then that we were given a nebulizer and Albuterol to treat his breathing problems.

He's had a cough and snotty nose again the past few days so I decided to take him in to the doc to have him checked out before our upcoming trip so we could make sure his ears looked good and so we could treat anything that might need treating so he's in good shape when we travel. After a breathing treatment in the doctor's office we were sent out for a chest x-ray. They sat him on this little seat like a bicycle seat and wrapped these plastic body forms around him to hold his body and arms in the right position. He wasn't too upset about it at first but then he realized that this wasn't supposed to be a pleasant experience and kind of lost it. It was heartbreaking!!! Here are a few pics of that super fun process:
The news came about 5:45 P.M. ... PNEUMONIA!! My sweet baby boy has pneumonia :( He is now on 5 medications including 2 different nebulizer treatments, an antibiotic, a HORRIBLE steroid (that he does not want to take AT ALL), and allergy meds. Ah, the joys. Say a little prayer for Cougar so he's feeling great, breathing well, and ready to live it up at Disneyland!!