It was my Happy Birthday on the 29th

Well, it was my Happy Birthday on Tuesday. I am now 30! I am really ok with it. Rhett and I have been married for 8 1/2 years. We met in Memphis, TN in 1998 after I graduated Rick's College and he had completed 1 semester of undergrad at Univ. of Memphis. So needless to say we have been through 8 yrs of school and now residency. We waited a few years to have our own little humans but alas trouble entered our lives. Hayden Blake is 5 and so ready for school. He is all boy and is so social. He had a really hard time with the move but loves it here now. Samantha Rae is 2. She was our little premie born during med school. She was so tiny, but she caught up so fast. She thinks she is as old has her brother. They are just starting to play together...thank goodness. I work for an internet co. from my computer at home. I have worked for them 4 1/2 years. It has been a great way to supplement the loans and resident's salary. I just work a couple of hours a day so not bad. I also translate foreign languages for other people. Just my 2 yr old to the rest of the world!

Let's see.....Things I love
The BEACH
Oh wait...I should say my husband and family 1st right?
Ok... I really love them too...
I love and miss the sunshine...it really makes me happy. I grew up in Texas so Arizona was not an adjustment for me. Ohio on the other hand is freezing!
I love watching movies and sipping hot chocolate.
I love CHOCOLATE (who doesn't)
I love for there to be good shows on when my husband is on call! Bring on LOST tonight! Hooray!
I love getting a bargain on things. Double coupons are fabulous!
I really just like the simple things in life. nature...my kidos laughing...husband doing the dishes...oh wait....that was my dream crossing over!

DREAMS that can be reality someday!
paying off all of our student loans and house and being debt free.
replacing all of the handme down furniture and get grown up stuff.
living close to the beach so I can take walks everyday on it.
surviving residency! :)

It is always so good to see friends!

The Mathews came over for a root beer float for family night almost two weeks ago. It was so fun to see them. Our kids also had fun together. It crazy to think that Jenny and I had Aubrey and Charlie in the middle of medical school, and now they are both turning three. I hope you are all doing well. I wish I could see all of you. Feel free to come to beautiful San Diego any times you want to take wonderful vacation. We love seeing friends.

Post- Birthday-Post :)

Ok :)
Well I am finally getting to my full birthday post!
Just a side note first. Hayden is doing awesome, we love him so much!!! He is eating better and better (breastfeeding is a struggle for this little guy, but he is making big strides.) Also getting more and more alert, which is so fun! He barely cries, which is so great ;) After contacting the DS support groups etc. here we really feel so informed and ready to move forward and work with Hayden to help him reach his potential. It's funny I told Adam I feel like we are in this special club now :) It was scary at first to learn of his disability, but I realized that I really didn't know as much as I thought I did about Downs Syndrome and that he has opportunities just like the rest of us and can achieve what ever he wants, it will just takes extra time and effort.
I can't wait to see his little sweet personality emerge and the rewards from having another child in our family.

Ok,
so some of my stregnths...
hmmm... I love people. All kinds, I love meeting new people and love to talk. I love to find out about different cultures and experiences. I think most people out there are good and thoughtful. I always give people the benefit of the doubt. If I ever think someone says something that hurts me, I always try to see things from their perspective and make an excuse for what they said or what they did. I think this is a good trait but in the past I have gotten walked on and not treated so great, so I have learned a little balance in this area over the years.

I am a planner, I like to know what to expect and be prepared. I gained some added experience in this area from Adam who is the expert planner and true boyscout of being prepared! This used to be one of my greatest weaknesses, being a procrastinator and struggling to plan for goals I had. But I am glad I have worked on this and have become a little more organized. I still have scatterbrained days for sure!!!!

ps. I think the above could also count for weakness too :) allowing people to walk on you and being so anal, and when things don't work out just how you planned, fretting about it!


Some of my birthday wishes!

1. flowers just because
2. some new athletic shoes (I miss my new balance discount!)
3. some more nursing pj's from motherhood, they are great!
4. a new hair do! always a necessity after giving birth!!
5. the best physical therapist for Hayden
6. for people to see Hayden first and then his disability as secondary
7. no more friday/sunday call for a long time!
8. A free super responsible babysitter for every friday Adam is avail ;)
9. for the snow to melt some and warm up a bit so Kyler can get out a little more

(snow was fun at first and during the holidays, but I am missing the mild AZ winters!!!! I guess since my pregnant heater is gone, I am so cold now!!!)

Well I love and miss you all! I really love that we can keep in touch on this thing. You all are wonderful, beautiful women!!!!

OH yeah, I almost forgot. I am 26 now. I think it's a good age. 25 wasn't so good, I had a hard time with it, but I like 26! It sounds like a great mature age and good for where I am in my life. It's funny with the group of friends at church and residents I am still the youngest. I know that is nothing to complain about so stop shaking your head ;) but I just find it weird that I am always one of the youngest.... it wont always be so, so I should enjoy it I guess :)

For any Jane Austen Fans out there!

Here is a link to the TV schedule for Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. They are showing some new remakes of older movies. The Complete Jane Austen, featuring adaptations of all six Austen novels and a new biopic of her life.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/schedule/index.html

Enjoy!

Dora

From the only MSV wife out there . . .

So the Wildes entered the Wide World of Blogging today. We've been enjoying keeping up on everyone through this website and others, and now hopefully we'll be able to contribute, too! Hope you guys don't mind, even though I only made it to about two (maybe three?) girls' nights. Thanks for the invite, Jenny, and congrats to all the new babies and their families!

(I was trying to attach our most recent family photo, but keep getting error messages, so sorry there's no picture!)

Hayden Charles Jensen

I am still planning on finishing my birthday post, but I wanted to show off my little baby pictures first :)

Sorry for the delayed announcement of our son!
Hayden Charles Jensen was born January 7th at 8:15am, he was 8lbs 15oz, smaller than I thought:) ! He has light reddish/blond hair and bright blue eyes!!! Just like his dad!!
Immediately after his birth he needed oxygen and continued to need it. After a little while they found that he had pulmonary hypertension and a PDA and PFO patent ductus arteriosis and patent foramen ovale. When a baby is in his mother they have holes in the walls of the heart bypassing the lungs to pump oxygen to their body because the mother provides the oxygen. Well when a baby is born these holes close and the blood is pumped to their little lungs and then they can get oxygen in their blood all by themselves. Well Hayden's heart didn't do that and because of high blood pressure in the vessels to his lungs he can't pump blood to his lungs. Anyway they had him on 100% oxygen in a little hood and had maxed out all the interventions they could do at our NICU, so they sent him to Children's hospital in Denver. Also some of the providers noted that he had some features of Downs Syndrome and they sent for tests to find out.

It was so hard to not see my little baby but twice before he had to be transported to the NICU an hour away! And especially hard that I hadn't been able to hold him because of my c section and then because he was in the oxygen hood.
My c-section went well and I recovered quickly and was discharged Wednesday afternoon and Adam and I were able to drive to see Hayden everyday. Each day he improved so quickly, thanks to the priesthood blessing he received, and the faith and prayers of so many!!! (THANK YOU!!!!). They were able to decrease the oxygen at a quick rate, and it just seemed like everyday was a triumph and he got stronger and stronger.

We found out that he definitely has Downs Syndrome and while it was not what we expected and shed many tears.... we feel he will be a special blessing to our family and that the Lord selected us specifically for this special little spirit to love and raise him to meet his best potential. We are anxious to find out all about him and do the best we can.

Yesterday he was finally discharged!!!! It was the best day! His PDA has closed, but not his PFO. He still has pulmonary hypertension, but he is doing well and was sent home to use on a small amount of oxygen. He could need oxygen for years or just a few weeks, only time will tell. But we are just so happy to be home together as a family, where we can get to know him and especially for Kyler to get to love his brother!

It was quite a week.... One of the hardest and best of my life. I am just so thankful for our sweet little boy. He is so sweet and precious. Adam has been my rock and such a support and great loving dad. Kyler has been a champ this week staying home with my mom and being so patient and understanding. I know the Lord blessed him with comfort this week. We are so thankful to be home as a family... it's great!
Well love you all. Thanks for all the prayers, gifts, visits, phone calls, etc. Adam's residency program has been so great as well as his fellow residents/friends in their support and prayers. We are also thankful for our friends from church and their love and support too! Adam has been able to have this week and next off, which is so great!
Well we will keep you all updated as things change and progress. We are so thankful for our little man!

Long Time No Write

So I have to start by apologizing. I have not posted for ever so I thought I would send some pictures to show what I have been up to the past few months. Life sure has been crazy. I can't believe it is January and I am just now getting my halloween pictures up. Halloween in Idaho is a lot different in Idaho than in Arizona. My kids froze. The picutres of Hawaii I don't send to make anyone jealous (well okay maybe a little) but to entice everyone that we need to have a reunion there! We are already ready to go back. Dave says he needs a vacation just so he can sit and read a book. Then the pictures of Christmas are everyones Christmas card. I am so bad at that. I really enjoyed getting everyones cards though. They are all so cute. Anyway, life the past month has been insane. Dave is in Boise for two months. It is the stupidest thing ever. Pocatello pediatricians have made some deal with University of Washington and some other school to let them precept the med students so the residency has to go to Boise for two months for their rotations. They put them up in an apartment. It wouldn't be so bad accept Dave left December 16th. He had to be on call Christmas Day. It was really hard. Plus I work in Idaho Falls so it is hard for me to go there. We miss him so much. The kids say everyday they wish dad didn't have to work anymore. So Dave came for a week or so, came home the 22nd, and had to leave christmas eve to drive back to Boise to work Christmas day. It was hard for him. We finally made it over here on thursday to stay for a week. Then we go home for two weeks and come back for one more. We will be so happy when this is all over. I haven't slept in my own bed since christmas eve. I am ready to be done living out of a suit case.

Anyway besides the chaos, life really is going good. The kids are growing fast. Anyway, glad to hear about everyone. Karie your baby is so cute. I am excited for everyone with their new babies and the ones coming. By the way we are having a boy. YEEEAAAAHHh! I am very excited for that. My sister is having a girl, she is due like four days before me so we have a lot to look forward to. Hope all is well.

Amy

Happy Birthday to Me!

Ok here is my big belly, ok VERY big belly. I still can't believe how big it really is!!!! I just hope he isn't bigger than Kyler! I am sorry but I don't have the time to write all the other birthday info, So when I post pictures of our baby I will put all the fun birthday info on that post. Thanks for all your well wishes, love you all!!!!!!
Rachel

Amelia Deirdre Shelton

Okay, so my husband said he posted a blog about the baby. I just read it yesterday...typical husband's blog I guess. Short and bare minimum of info. Well, I will give you the real story. I got my "membranes stripped" the 11th at about 3p. I started contracting just before midnight but didn't really now if it was "real" so I didn't wake up trent til about 1:30am when I was like, "I think I need to go to the hospital." Of course I was holding out as long as possible as I did not want to drive all the way downtown 45 minutes in the snow and then get sent home. Plus, we had to wake up the neighbor and drop off the kids. Poor people. Anyway, left for the hospital at 2am and made it at 2:45. I had Trent check me to make sure something was happening before we left, but he's like..."I have no idea. All I feel is a bunch of hair. For all I know you could be an 8 or 9." Contractions were coming every 5 minutes though...remember I was induced with both boys so I had no idea what to expect. Anyway, I was an 8 when they checked me at 3am and they rushed me up to L and D. I thought I was going to die with the contractions. Anesthesia came and started to numb my back for the epidural, but while he was doing that my water broke and I said, "I think the baby is coming out" They laid me down and I pushed a bit but then they made me stop and "hold it." Come on....seriously. I guess the cord was around her neck tight and they were trying to get it off. She was ghost white and it took her a long time to pink up and she didn't cry for a while so it was a little scary. Plus with the irregular heart beat...thus the reason for the NICU...but everything normalized within several hours and they let me have her back. SO, she was born at 3:33am on 12-12-07. Amelia Deirdre (pronounced deer-dree) which is my mothers name. She is doing great and is so cute. She looks just like Brayden when he was born except she can wrinkle her forhead like Trent and Lane. Brayden and I can't wrinkle our forheads...weird. Here is a picture and I will get some cuter ones posted within a few days.

So, Christmas was wonderful. I had 14 people at my house and Trent's mom is coming next week. Call me crazy, but it was great. My boys were completely entertained with all my brothers and sisters that I just slept in with Amelia and held her. They didn't seem to mind at all. The last of my family leaves tomorrow. I am bummed yet ready to get back into some type of routine. I am most nervous about what I am going to do with the boys all day that is productive and not just something involving a screen...Brayden is not in preschool. We do a little on our own but I need some more ideas. Let me know what you guys do all day with the kiddos. Okay, this is long enough. Anxious to hear what is going on with everyone.

Is anyone else...

Is anyone else just DYING to see pics of the new little Shelton sweetie??? Ohhhh Kaaaaaaarrriieeeeeeeeee------------------->

Is anyone else so excited that Rachel J. is about to have HER baby on MONDAY!???!!!!?? Bring on that big baby boy Rach! Oh, and by the way, don't forget that its YOUR birthday on Tuesday and we want the birthday post! Of course we'll understand if its early or a little late ;)

Is anyone else wondering what AMY is having? She was supposed to have an ultrasound a couple of weeks ago!??

Is anyone else sooooooooo ready for school to start again? I need my routine back and Dillon needs to get out of the house every day b/c he's driving me nuts!! "Where we going today, Mom? What are we doing that's fun?"

Is anyone else dying to have all the Christmas stuff down and put away, then the house cleaned (including carpets) from top to bottom?

Is anyone else sick of the wieght loss commercials yet?

Is anyone else ready for the writer's strike to end already??!!

Is anyone else DYING to see the new season of LOST??!! American Idol?!!

Is anyone else sick? Colds? Ugh.

Anyone out there at all?? ;)