Top "From the mouth of babes" - 2007

This is my favorite from the mouth of Chase story for the year 2007:

It all started when I took Chase for this 4 year photos and Leah for her 3 month photos back in October. I told Chase that we would go look at Halloween decorations after we were done if he was good. Well, let's just say that he didn't hold up to his end of the bargain. As I was strapping him into his car seat, he asked, "Can we go look at Halloween decorations now?" I told him, "No, you didn't behave so we are going home and then I'm going to beat you." (I was kidding - seriously). A couple minutes later I heard, "Mom, when you're done beating me, can we go look at decorations?".

And, then there was just this weekend when I was scrubbing off a tattoo on Chase's arm with a bath mit of my mom's. Chase said, you have one of these. To which I replied that I didn't. Then we went back and forth with "Yes you do" and "No I don't" for a while. I then asked him where it was if I had one. His reply was, "It's under the tree. Grandma bought you one. Wasn't that nice of her?"! Moral of the story - don't take Chase Christmas shopping with you.

Merry Christmas!

As I write this, Chase is in our bed watching his Star Wars DVD for the third time today. And I just removed a Cabbage Patch doll Leah received from Santa from her sleeping grip. Christmas was good to the children and adults. We spent time with both of our families, which really was the best gift of all.

7.3 - Wee hee!

Chase had his A1C test today. His test came back as a 7.3. His last test was 7.7. Any drop lowers his chances of diabetic complications (kidney disease, nerve damage, and eye problems).

After the age of 7 we will need to get his number closer to 6 (blood average of 135). Hopefully by then BlueCross BlueShield of ND will finally approve continuous glucose monitors. (I'm extremely jealous of a mom in Minnesota that has 2 of her children on the monitor.) Or even better yet - a cure.

Once there is a cure I'm going to rent a steam roller and let Chase drive over all of his diabetes "stuff". Oh, how much fun it will be to see the pump, Humalog bottle, glucometer, lancet, test strips, and pump supplies smashed to smithereens. And afterwards, we'll go out for the biggest Dairy Queen Blizzard they make. Now, I just need to know where I can get my hands on a steam roller...

Brotherly love - Part 2

Chase has been obsessed with giving people cards lately. It all started when I gave him some cheesy cards that I knew I'd never send out. Then, my mom did the same. She even sent him a package with cards and envelopes today.

It is kind of fun. You never know what kind of card you are going to get. My niece is still shaking her head over the card she received from him praying for her recovery. Although, I'm no too sure about the card above for his sister. Poor Leah.

2 years and half a life time

Last week while I was preparing supper, I asked Chase to test his blood. While he was washing his hands, he turned to his baby sister and said, "Leah, I have diabetes. You don't have diabetes." To which I quickly added, "And we don't want her to ever get diabetes because diabetes stinks. Right, Buddy?" In a "mom you're crazy" tone, he simply replied, "No it doesn't."

Tomorrow marks the day that Chase will have had diabetes for half of his life. He hasn't known life any other way.

Two years ago, Gary and I were trying to figure out why Chase was drinking water constantly. He'd wake up in the middle of the night and ask for water. We'd get up to get him a glass only to discover a saturated diaper and wet bed.

Were we concerned he had diabetes? Yes and no. A few weeks prior to his diagnosis, he was in the clinic for his 2 year check up. I brought up our concerns about his "drinking problem" to his former pediatrician. She waved it off - even after I brought up our family history type 1 diabetes. For two weeks we went with her advice of waiting it out - that it would clear up on its own.

He wasn't getting any better. He became more and more irritable and his breathing started to become shallow. We prayed it was just a cold. On the advice of a mom at his day care who is a nurse, we took him to the public health office to have his blood tested. 348. He had diabetes.

I haven't really touched on faith much since starting this blog. It is something that is rather personal and private to me, but in two years, it is what has keep me going.

Two years ago I asked God, "Why my child?" and "Why not?" is what I heard back. Not really the response I was hoping for at the time. But, in that time, I've realized that we are lucky. We have awesome health care coverage, a wonderful medical team, and Gary and I will do whatever it takes to insure that Chase is happy and healthy. Some kids aren't so lucky. Mine is.

Little Man Turns 4!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, CHASE!!!

We love you!

Single parenting

I'm a single parent this week. Gary flew out to Reno this afternoon to attend an "International Association of Emergency Managers" conference. Last year, his conference was in Orlando and Chase and I joined him. This year we're saving our frequent flier miles (I'll just say that I've been to Reno...enough said). Hopefully the conference will be in Hawaii next year. Or some where international. One can dream...

Chase has come down with a cold, so he's been sleeping much of the day. The poor kid even "looks sick". He has dark circles under his eyes and has a lot less spunk. Luckily, we all have tomorrow off to sleep in and relax. We may just have to take in the SpongeBob Squarepants marathon on Nickelodeon.

Last weekend, Chase's friend, Brett, joined us for supper. The boys had a lot of fun in Chase's Spiderman costumes (Chase is in the black one). This was the best photo I could get because that little guy Brett moves fast!

My folks also sent Chase a Darth Vader costume in the mail this week (Mom likes after Halloween sales). It was a huge hit - so much so that he slept in it and wore it to day care.

And Leah...I was finally able to lay her down in her crib. She really likes to be held, which is fine for about 5 minutes but, after that, 16 1/2 pounds gets mighty heavy.

Chase took this photo of her today. I think we were preparing for outfit change #2 of the day. One look into those blue eyes and a little poop here and there (some times it feels like everywhere) isn't so bad.

Brotherly love

Halloween 2007

Two costume changes and a lot of candy later...

Chase had me guessing up until the last minute as to what he was going to go as this year. A trip to Devils Lake last weekend didn't help because Grandma bought him a skeleton and black Spiderman costume.

My dad gave Chase this large pumpkin from his garden. He insisted that he could fit in the pumpkin. I didn't believe him, but he was right. My little pumpkins...

Bram

Yesterday we attended the funeral of Gary's cousin, Bram. He was 33 years old.

I met Bram only once and that was at my wedding back in '02. After hearing what type of person he was, I wish I had known him much better. He seemed like quiet the character. His dad, Conrad (Gary's uncle), gave the eulogy. I don't know where he found the strength, but he did an awesome job. One of the many funny stories he told about Bram was of how he found the following quote on Bram's MySpace web page:

"I like live theatre. I have been surrounded by theatre and the arts throughout my life. My father is an instructor of theatre and semantics and my mother is an artist. I have always been encouraged to be creative. I guess my parents wanted me to be poor."

Conrad, Karen, Aili, and Kena, you are in my thoughts.

Bram's obituary: click here

3 Month Photos

(Nearly) 4 Year Old Photos

More Halloween Preparations

Chase and I have been having fun with some Halloween projects lately. We saved 8 milk jugs to make a skeleton. We also made some cheese cloth ghosts that look like puppies. Oh, well, Chase had fun.

Leah turned 3 months old on Monday. She's a very easy going baby. A little too easy going...poor thing.

De-motivators

New demotivational posters came out today. Anyone who has worked in government or has been surrounded by motivational posters will enjoy these (and never look at a motivational poster the same way again).

We use to quote the one above to Chase, "Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else."

He proved us wrong. There's no one like Chase!

Halloween can't come soon enough

Chase is into Halloween BIG time this year. He "needs" to look at Halloween decorations at every store. I refused to look at them at Target yesterday and he was offended (four times is enough).

He has decided to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Halloween. It was that or Harry Potter. He decided to dress up as Harry today anyway. He looks pretty good with dark hair!

And here he is with a plastic cauldron stuck to his butt. He wasn't amused that I had to take a photo before I agreed to get it off of him.

And not to be out done, Leah imitates the models in the "Got Milk?" ads...

Birthday boy(s)!

Our nephew, Dylan, turns 9 today. I've heard all sorts of horror stories of this sweet young man as a baby (I didn't meet him until he was two). Apparently, he screamed for the first year of his life. I don't know how Brad and Michele survived. I think of them everytime Leah cries for what I think is a long time (30 minutes tops!).

Luckily, their second child was much easier on them. I'm belated in sending out a happy 6th birthday blog wish to Connor (his birthday was on the 6th of September). Sorry, Connor!

Here are the boys at the Pumpkin Patch. Happy birthday, guys!

Taking charge

Here is Chase testing his own blood. He has been doing this for a few months now.

Two is company, three is exhausting...

New phase - tell Chase to smile and this is what you get.

My Fargo friend, Karla, is in town this week for a conference. She wanted to bring her daughter Bailey with so she asked if I'd watch her today. I excitedly agreed since Chase and Bailey play so well together. They had a blast. We went to Barnes and Noble and read books, to a park, McDonald's, the Pumpkin Patch, out for ice cream, and then to a play area at the mall.

It was so much fun to listen to Chase and Bailey converse in the back seat. My favorite conversation was the one where Bailey told Chase that he had a messy room. His response was that his mom hadn't cleaned it yet! In my defense - one, it's not messy and two, I'm so done cleaning that kid's room.

We packed a lot into one day. A little bit ago, Gary asked me if I was going to rename the Blog now that Leah is here. I told him that with two kids I'll be "keeping up the chase" more than ever. And, although today was a lot of fun, I think I'll stick with just two kids. Yes, this coming from a third child.

A guilt trip to Fargo

Uncle Todd Mocking My Children

My brother called last week to tell me that he'd be in Fargo on Saturday. He wanted to see if we'd like to meet up. Since we were just there a couple of weeks ago I told him that we'd have to pass. I wanted to see him, but I couldn't work another hotel stay into our budget.

Well, Mom got wind that Todd was going to be in the state and she did two things to me that she does best - she put me on a guilt trip (he hadn't met Leah yet) and bribed me (we stayed with them at the hotel). So, Saturday morning, the kids and I headed to Fargo to see Uncle Todd. I over heard Chase telling Gary that he had to go to Fargo because Grandma, Boppa, and Todd missed him. Modest kid I'm raising.

It was a fun time. I think Leah liked her uncle Todd. She spit up on him numerous times if that indicates anything. I did get a great shot of her smiling, though...

Memory Lane

My dad sent me these "old" photos today. It was fun receive them because I don't think I've ever seen them. (Michele, you're right, the kids are carbon copies of one another.)

Welcome back Ma and Pa!

Train ride at the zoo

My folks just returned from an Alaskan cruise. They flew out of Bismarck on the 11th and returned yesterday.

It was strange not to be able to call them on a whim to tell them a Chase"ism"...like, me asking Chase why he was taking his sweet time going down our basement steps. His reply, "I move slow because I'm getting old. That's what Grandma says." Or when he named all the people in a photo at Leah's baptism and he referred to Pastor Jamie as God...I guess we need to work on some BIG topics in our house.

Welcome back Mom and Dad. We missed you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chase helped Boppa celebrate his birthday...one day late.

New favorites

Fun in Fargo

The kids and I tagged along to Fargo with Gary last week while he took part in a conference. I wanted to go to see my good friend Karla, who just recently moved to Fargo. As an added bonus, my sister and her family were in Fargo for a wedding. I even reconnected with a friend from college. We did a lot of visiting and a lot of swimming. On Friday alone, Chase had been to the pool four separate times. He was one clean kid when we took him home.

Chase and Bailey (Karla's daughter) after a late night swim

Leah even had a friend to play with...Karla's youngest daughter, Berlyn

My friend Tracy from Page brought her 3 kids, Sydney, Olivia and Brody to play with Chase. Here they are enjoying some Cheerios (after a dip in the pool, of course)!

And here are the cousins from Iowa...Ben and Brianna (before a dip in the pool). Their dad celebrated his 40th birthday on Sunday. Happy birthday, John!!!! I won't tell the readers that I ONLY turned 34 on the 13th ;-).

Wow. What a fun trip!

We arrived back in time to partake in the opening day of Papa's Pumpkin Patch. Gary's folks joined us. It was their first time out at the patch. We took them on a hay ride and enjoyed some pumkin pie.

We traditionally take a picture of Chase on the tractor at the pumpkin patch. We thought he struck a pose similar to the very first time he was there...

10 months old

Almost 4 years old and still loving tractors!

Christening Day

Leah was baptized on Sunday in Devils Lake. It was a beautiful day to be baptized as my grandpa Art said. Gary's brother, Brad, and our good friend, Wynn, were Leah's sponsors. Gary's whole family made the trip from Bismarck for the big day.