All the pressure in the New Year...

With the New Year here.... resolutions are hitting us all right in the face. Im so busy, I havent even had a second to sit down and write my resolutions out, but the hairy truth is....I dont want the guilt associated with it right now. I hate writing things down, only to feel like I am failing at ONE more thing as a mom...I know lots of people feel this way. When I talk to friends  I see us all so HARD on ourselves.  I wish I could give us all a break...but I feel that we all somehow think that if we aren't hard on ourselves, that it wont push us to be better?? At least, maybe thats just me? I always have so many thoughts, and DREAM about having the gift to write like others do in an organized funny way. I dont. But I am grateful that other woman have what it takes to put what they (and what I am feeling inside too) out in words and Share it for us all to read and feel like we are all in this together!! Take a second to read these articles I have found have given me a lift! now, in my "Kate" fashion, Im very well rounded...spiritual with my own twist...Like if you know my, Im a foul mouthed Relief Society Sister with a hard core testimony, but with a saucy sense of humor. So one article is LDS based, and one is not. Both ring true to me. Sorry if you are ever offend by anything I post.

Drops of Awesome:
http://www.daringyoungmom.com/2012/12/19/drops-of-awesome/

Why you are Never failing as a Mom:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-morrison/motherhood_b_2271349.html

Remember, we are all doing are best, and we are doing a pretty great job!

Drue at 6 months

Drue is almost 7 months now...but thought I'd do a brief photo update on him. Our sweet friend is an amazing photographer and as a gift gives us pictures for his milestones. For his 6 months, we took pictures of him, and had Tommy join him for a few. Here's a few I love. 

Drue had his 6  month evaluations on Wednesday with all the professionals working with our family. tehy all met and we talked about his progress. It resulted in a not just me in tears, but some of the other who have been working so hard with us and his progression. Drue is testing as of now, right on schedule for most everything. This is a true miracle, and we know it. there are many things we need to work on, and we know that there are hurdles ahead, but to be where we are right now, is a mothers prayer and dream come true. We will continue to work and hope for his progress, and thank you all for your love and support. 

with out cameras on our Phones, where would our pictures be?

Lets be honest...we all have little time and lots of guilt about the photo taking of our children! Maybe its just me. Thank goodness phones now have great cameras and even video cameras on them! I remember my parents lugging around briefcases with their cameras in them to capture our moments! We are lucky! Things are always crazy and good here... just hard to update. But heres a photo update...Im getting pretty good at instagram, so I guess this is kinda like that. A picture is worth a thousand words. 

Drue is doing well, and constantly improving and hitting milestones we are praying for! We have wonderful Physical therapist, occupation therapists and nurse and child development specialist who work with us weekly. Hes rolling over! He started solids! He's holding things! He's on a roll!! 

And he has blue eyes...

He loves baby Mum Mums

We love where we live... especially when it starts to get cold, and others have cabin fever. We have fun play dates. heres one with cookies and hot cocoa. 

HUGE first snow storm of the year hit...It was unlike Ive seen in 9 years. Tommy was loving it. 

Maybe my favorite picture ever...My three boys in a tubby. 

Halloween this year was fun....The boys were a pair...Tommy a knight, Drue a dragon. We had a few parties, Depending on what was appropriate  we had a pair costume as well. One where Rob was a lactation specialist, and I, a lactating mother. Based on my Depending life male lactation lactation specialist. Rob was a sumo the other times.

We went to "Thriller" where our niece was Chuckie this year 

We decorate our pumpkins with Mr Potato Head pieces cause Tommy cant handle the real pumpkin guts. Dry heaves the while time. this was our solution. 

Drue sporting his "D"

Rob got pre season Jazz game tickets and Took Tommy...in His knight costume of course!  Tommy started Soccer this year and was easily the star (Im not just saying that). Averaged 4 goals a game!! 

Robs last years with student season tickets with his med student buddies

Rob is in the thick of Residency interview season. people keep asking where we want to go or where we applied. EVERYWHERE is the answer. He is going to a new state almost weekly it seems. When hes not traveling, he's soaking up time with the boys, and trying to adjust to the downtime while it lasts. 

We kill time at McDonalds playland when its cold...his Girlfriend Maylee and jealous sister Sophie in background

We started a map for Tommy to understand where Daddy is this week by stars on the states he is flying to...

Rob was back East for a while and saw my little Brother Collin and my week old niece born during Hurricane Sandy

A fun Sunday afternoon activity. Tommy loves making wishes in anything with Water.

The Many faces of Tommy

Tommy started his second year of preschool...I cant believe it! He loves school! He's a social bug, and he loves playing. He's such a fun kid, and loves to play pretend. Hes known around our neighborhood as the kid with all the costumes. Really, he has a bin full of costumes Hes loved them since he started imaginative play, but now is really getting into the roles. Boys must be born with "sound effects" installed, cause I didn't teach him any of the sounds he makes as he pretends to be whatever he is that hour. Here is a glimpse of what Tommys has been this week...

A star Student... devastated to learn that costumes weren't allowed at school except for halloween

as a Power Ranger...at the dentist. there are some battles just not worth fighting for me right now. 

 With a gas mask...

As Peter pan

Photos missing from this week: Tommy as a Pirate, Tommy as Spiderman, Tommy as a White Ninja

And Here a picture of Drue showing off how good his balance is getting!

We are still here...

Lately, I've been harassed by friends (Alicia, mainly) to post something.  I feel like I don't know my butt from my head, some days due to lack of sleep and exhaustion. We are all alive and well for the most part. We just got back from two weeks in Lake Tahoe. Rob took the part one of Step 2 of the Medical Boards for Med school at the beginning of August and he'll take part 2 of Step 2 the beginning of September... so its study mode at our house. I'm trying to be give Rob as much time as he needs to study, but he's such a good man that he wants to help me more around the house...and I need to tell him "No, go study!"

Tommy starts preschool on September 6th. He is so excited and we are lucky that the school is so close and kids from our complex will be in his class. Tommy does so much better with a routine and loves being with other kids. Who would have thought we would have had a social child? He has recently started riding his bike with no training wheels!

Drue is three months old. He's stayed out of the hospital for weeks! People often ask what is really going on with his health, and why we are vague when we talk about him. We are because we really don't know whats going on either. He's had many potential diagnoses, all of which are perplexing. As far as we can tell at this moment, he is a healthy boy. He has some physical development issues we hope will be worked out through weekly physical and occupational therapy and having him monitored by wonderful doctors. They won't deny the possibility of cerebral palsy for at least a year and even then we aren't 100% out of the woods. We hope the doctors are just being overly cautious due to all the previous mistakes that were made on  their part. But so far he's hitting all his milestones, including smiling and laughing. Rob reminds me daily to enjoy all the things Drue is doing and to treat him like he isn't sick at all -- treat him normally and dont freak out cause most likely, he is just that, normal and perfect. So, despite my anxieties, I'm trying to soak up these baby moments knowing they will pass quickly, thanking the Lord for our boys.

On a side note, I turned 30 this week. Never thought I'd be 30, married, and have two kids. I still feel like I'm 20 at heart. This was evident today when Tommy was singing at the top of his lungs the song "Call Me Maybe," while we were driving in the car. I don't feel different at all.  It's just weird to say that I'm 30 now. That does seems old... What will I do my next 30 years? Who knows, but I'm sure it will be as exciting as the first 30!

Rubicon Bay, Lake Tahoe. Our dock and beach.

My Mom (Manna as the grandkids call her) loving on Baby Drue.

Tommy and I taking a picture while we "try" to bond. Hes not much of a snuggler. 

Drue, 3 months old and asleep, FINALLY! 

Heavenly day

We anticipated a much easier entrance into the world for Drue. Things didn't go as planned at all, but a day doesn't go by that we aren't aware that he is our miracle baby in every way. We are blessed, and truly when this baby was born and when he was able to come home in our arms, it truly was a HEAVENLY DAY. We are grateful for all your fasting, prayers, and support. We hope this little guy will continue to progress.

We are all under one roof...

Thought I'd update really quick. Drue was released from the NICU, and we were all home together for a few days. Then the night of his circumcision, it hemorrhaged. We were put back in the hospital to have his little privates worked on. Turns out they accidentally nicked an artery, a 1/25,000 chance. We love to be the one, dont we? So, we are all home now...and hope to stay that way for a long time. We are getting is baby pictures today....a month late due to circumstances...so more Drue to come. Again, thank you for all the prayers, fasting, and love. We have needed them.