Birthday Season 2012

Peterson Birthday Season 2012 started earlier this year than in year's past because of our sweet new addition.  Gage's birthday on January 19th kicks off the season.  We were in our house less than a couple of weeks when we celebrated Gage's big first birthday!  During birthday season, we take one set of decorations down to put another set up.  And, in the middle, we celebrate Valentine's Day, too!  I learned a few years ago to switch to cupcakes.  We used to throw one cake away just to cook another one!

Gage's First Birthday - January 19th

Gage was a very willing participant in the festivities.  We are pretty sure one of his very favorite parts of the party was the streamers hanging from the ceiling fan.  Autumn and Gavin took turns turning the fan on and off.  It never lost its fascination with any of them!

The past year absolutely flew by.  It's been just over a year since we've been back from Canada - which seems like a million years ago.  In the past year, we've bought land, built a house, and moved again.  And, during it all, we have been able to enjoy this little bundle of joy.  And, those words are absolutely true for Gage.  His smile and mischievous little laugh lights a room.  He is laid-back and cuddly.  I am completely in love with this little man and am so glad that we were blessed with this angel.

Autumn and Gavin both had to be coaxed into eating their birthday cakes on their first birthdays.  Gage didn't hesitate even for a second!  He instinctively knew exactly what to do.  Clearly this little one takes after his mommy and her sweet tooth.

He licked every last bite.  Gage has always cracked us up with the way he smacks his lips when he eats. Jeff and I have a HUGE pet peeve about kids (or anyone) that eat with their mouth open.  But, one-year-olds get a free pass.

Gage ate every last crumb.

Autumn wrapped a present just for Gage.   She found one of her books that she knew he would like and included school photos of her and Gavin for the little man.

Grandma and Grandpa Peterson gave Gage a wooden toy that has proven to be extremely popular with all of the kids.  Hammering is a favorite around here.

And, like all the kids ... Gage is always willing to go for a quick spin in Gavin's wheelchair!

Autumn's 7th Birthday - February 2nd 

We made flower cupcakes for Autumn's class at school.  I was able to take the cupcakes in and read a few books to her class.  She loves it when we come in to her classroom.

We celebrated at home on Autumn's birthday on Thursday night.  Surprisingly, Autumn asked to go out to eat for the occasion.  So, we enjoyed our favorite Mexican dinner at Tarahumara in Midway.  And, then came home to open presents!

Since Santa brought a few of her friends American Girl dolls for Christmas, Autumn added a doll to her wish list for her birthday.  We searched around and opted to buy her a 'journeygirls' doll (honestly, less than 1/3 of the American Girl doll price - and much prettier, in my opinion).  She was absolutely thrilled.  Autumn dressed and undressed her for the first few days and carried her around.  And, she has comfortably rested in Autumn's room, tucked in gently with a blanket, since February 4th.  Oh thank goodness we didn't buy the American Girl doll!

On Saturday, we hosted a cooking birthday party for Autumn.  Twelve little girls arrived and decorated aprons and chef hats for the event.  [Mental note . . . puff paint, used in the way that these little girls use it (heavy, thick, globs of color) will never, ever dry.]  They all loved being crafty.  And, it was really fun to see their creativity and designs. 

We played a 'guess that food smell' game.  I stumped them all with soy sauce.

We played the cupcake game - where you throw a ball into a cupcake tin and have to do the activity on the card to earn the points.  Silly girls.

Autumn, of course, opened presents . . . and was thrilled at every sugary treat she opened!

And, after making 'salad on a stick' and individual pizzas (I gave them each a ball of dough and lots of toppings), each girl decorated two cupcakes.

And, after everyone went home, Jeff took the kids to the Midway ice skating rink while I stayed with a napping Gage.

Gavin really endured extremely well in the cold weather.  He is a huge hockey fan . . . and loves to watch the Colorado Avalanche on TV whenever he can.  So, sledge hockey is right up his alley.

I sure do love my little girl.  I can't believe she's seven already.  I can't believe what an amazing help she is to our family - and how she is always willing to help out with Gavin and Gage.  She has a lot of responsibility as an older sister in this family.  And, she never ceases to amaze us with her thoughtfulness for her little brothers.

She is truly beautiful on the inside and out.

Jeff's 35th Birthday - February 25th

For Jeff's big birthday celebration, we invited the 'old gang' up to the house for dinner, cake and ice cream.  Jeff has been lucky to have the same best friends for way more than a decade now.  Sickness kept the Engles away.  But, Jory, Johnny, and Wendy - and their families - all made the trek to Heber despite the stormy weather forecast.  Scott and Krissie are the latest additions to the 'old gang' and also came to celebrate!

It was a really fun night of catching up, eating and relaxing.  It is really amazing to think about how much has changed over the years with this same group.

We had seven little ones running around.  Three of us are pregnant.

Jeff's birthday has traditionally been a time when we all come together.  We've crammed in apartments, rental homes, and had surprise parties.  Sadly, our former hangout, Fuddrucker's, closed down this past year. But, the memories go on. 

I absolutely adore this man.  He is everything that I dreamed of in a husband and even more.  How many people can say that?  I feel like the luckiest girl.  I am so happy that he picked me.

Gavin's 5th Birthday - March 1st

More to come . . .

A little of this and that . . .

It's amazing what you find when you download photos from a not-often-used camera.

Gavin had his own 'first day of school' celebration this year (September 2011) complete with Jello jigglers to celebrate his first day of preschool.  He was definitely excited.

Later in September, Autumn participated in a little cheerleader camp.  She performed during the halftime show at the high school football game.  She practiced every day and loved showing off her moves.

The night of the game was rainy and wet.  I love how she was one of the only girls that modified the dance so that she didn't have to lay on the cold, wet ground.  And, even when she gets knocked over . . . she immediately wipes her hand off.  But, she also has a nice high kick at the end.  The rain didn't dampen her spirits!

And, last but not least . . . this cute picture doesn't need much commentary.  What's not to love about that crinkly smiley face.

We Love Valentine's Day!

We do love Valentine's Day around our house.  We start after Autumn's birthday with our 'Heart Attack' tradition.  We fill a bowl on the kitchen table with little paper hearts and encourage everyone to write what they love about each other each night after dinner and then stick them on the window.  

Gavin's hearts inevitably came back to loving us because of something to do with his four-wheeler - having it or riding it together.  Autumn said one of the reasons she loved me is because I have a big, round belly like Santa Claus.  It's just what I want to hear! (*wink wink*).  We all confirmed that we love Gage for his cuddles and laugh.

On Valentine's Day we have a scavenger hunt.  Somehow this is one of the holiday traditions that has really stuck with the kids.  They remember it each year, which makes me so happy.  On their fourteenth clue, they find their surprise.

We found these cute, cuddly bears a few weeks ago . . . and couldn't wait to give them to the kids.  We have been working with them a lot (especially Autumn) on being grateful.  Because, I'll admit . . . last year's scavenger hunt ended a little rough.  She was not satisfied with her 2010 surprise.  And, we were very unhappy with her response.  Needless to say . . . the bears were an enormous hit and she gave immediate hugs to Jeff and I, along with a sincere 'thank you.'  

Gavin immediately named his bear 'Brownie' (after confirming that that was indeed a boy name) and, so far, Autumn's pink bear has been named 'Cuddles', 'Cutie' and 'Hugs.'

 This year's Valentine's dinner consisted of eggs and pink pancakes and then chocolate fondue.

And, of course . . . my sweet husband surprised me with flowers from the kids - plus drove an hour each way to pick up a present that I'd been wanting for months.

After Jeff and I put the kids to bed, we had our own stay-at-home Valentine's date.  I'll keep those details to myself.   :)

We definitely have a lot of love at our house.

I.LOVE.SNOW!!

It finally, finally snowed in Heber enough to let the kids break out their power toys in the yard.  At this point, I know most everyone else is hoping to make it through a whole winter without snow.  

Maybe it's because I'm from Virginia . . . but, I never tire of the snow.  Plus, I feel like cold weather warrants snow.  It's kind of pointless without it (although I don't mind hot chocolate with or without its snowy companion).

And, I was lucky enough to find a man that shares my fascination for winter.  We joke that we will be the opposite of all the traditional Snow Birds.  When we retire, we will tuck ourselves away in a snowy cabin all winter and then fly to another cold location during the hot, dry months of Utah summer.  Just as I feel that cold weather needs snow . . . in my book, hot weather needs water . . . preferably ocean water.  

Apparently our children have all inherited our love of snow . . . including little Gage.

These short little videos show the progression of the morning.  The last one is obviously my favorite.

First:

I walked outside to film Autumn dragging Jeff and Gavin behind her snowmobile on a sled.  Since I left the door cracked, Gage snuck out as he usually does when he sees an opportunity to escape.  I love how he points to the rest of the family riding around.

Then:

Gage was so excited that I quickly bundled him up

 in snow gear and passed him off to Jeff so that he could get a little taste of the winter fun.  Autumn and Gage rode in the sled behind the four-wheeler.  Gavin is on the back seat.

And finally:

Jeff only kept Gage out for a few minutes, fearing he'd get too cold.  So, I brought him in, unbundled him, hung up his snowsuit and came back to this . . . a poor little left out baby.  Man, I love this kid.

I think we're in trouble . . .

. . . and it might be because my sweet little baby knows and loves whipped cream - or it might be because his daddy thinks it's a good idea to give it to him.

We might also be in trouble because, if you could read Gavin's thoughts in this picture, they would be saying . . . what can I do next to torment my little brother?  Should I block him, push him over, or squish him against the wall?  And, Gavin seems so sweet . . .

We're Home

Finally . . .
 
I can't tell you how happy I am to be in our new home.  Honestly, it probably has less to do with being in this house and more to do with our family being together again.  Jeff was gone all the time working on the house.  Every day was hectic between babysitters and double shifts for Jeff and a lack of consistency in our schedule that was maddening for me. 
Don't get me wrong.  I love the house.  I love knowing we are finally home.  I don't care that we have boxes and bags everywhere to unload.  We are HOME.  And, we don't have to move again . . . maybe ever!  But, I have just reconfirmed to myself that I am one of those people that cherish time with my husband and my family.  I need a daily dose of Jeff.  Not a passing-in-the-night kind of romance.

As I type, Jeff is running around at 11:15pm working on various house projects with power tools.  But, he is HERE with me and our sweet sleeping babies. 

Ahhhhhhh . . .

Lots has been happening.  And, I put all sorts of pressure on myself not to update the blog until I have pictures ready or posts ready to launch in order.  But, I'm kind of crazy.  So, I'm trying to ignore myself and just live in the moment.

I will post pictures of the house.  I will most definitely share all the details of our sweet Baby G's first birthday.  In the meantime, here are a few random updates:

Gage has been deemed 'The Inspector.'  Man, he is an amazing eater.  He was insistent about feeding himself months and months ago.  I haven't found anything he doesn't like - if he can pick it up himself.  But, when we introduce that first bite of anything to him . . . you should see the way he tilts his head back and almost crosses his eyes to get a good solid look at the foreign food object before he puts it in his mouth.  Happens every time.  Hilarious.

Gavin is still fascinated with all of his super hero costumes that Santa brought him for Christmas.  He'd be happy to change clothes every 15 minutes sometimes.  He also wrote me a sweet little 'I miss you' card when I had to spend a night out of town for work.  Jeff said he was super pumped to give it to me.  It melted my heart.  Daddy is the obvious favorite around here for Gavin.  So, I love to feel loved.

Autumn is just a few days away from her 7th birthday (*sob*).  She is so much fun to hang out with and talk to at night.  I use her as my fashion consultant.  I think she's already surpassed my sense of style.  Although she'll be the first to let me know that she's not that interested in helping around the house ("No thanks, Mom") - when she decides to do something on her own . . . it's amazing.  Autumn decided to clean her room and make her bed everyday when we moved in.  She organized all of her 'special things' on her bookcase.  Yes, she's emotional (she is a girl).  But, she is amazing.

#4 is an active little guy . . . which I love.  This pregnancy is flying by.  Too fast.  I want to enjoy it.  I want to finally write in one of the many pregnancy journals I've bought over the years (each one has 2-3 pages filled out).

But, time is just marching ahead.  I'll do my best to live in the moment and enjoy every second.

Gavin's Birth Announcement and Updates from 2007

I have always viewed this blog as a sort of journal for our family.  This site houses the random things as well as the important events that mark our lives.  I was searching through old files and discovered the original emails I distributed when Gavin was born.  I wanted to include them here on the blog as well . . . if nothing else, for my own records. 

 Announcing Gavin Jeffrey Peterson

  

  

Hi everyone! I am finally able to give you an update
on our new baby. Gavin was born on March 1st in the
Heber Hospital at roughly 2:15pm. As soon as he was
born, the doctor discovered that Gavin has spina
bifida. He was immediately Life Flighted to Primary
Children's and underwent major surgery to repair his
spine on Friday. 

Spinda bifida is a defect of the spinal column that
occurs in the first 28 days of pregnancy, when the
spine does not close properly. The bones do not come
together and there is no skin covering the open part
of the sinal cord. Gavin has the worst kind of spina
bifida, called myelomeningocele. In this case, the
bones and nerves portrude and are completely exposed.
We were lucky that his defect was low on his back and
will likely only affect his hips down.
The doctors were pleased with the surgery but are also
coaching us that Gavin will likely not have the use of
his legs. He has a strong set of lungs and tremendous
upper body strength which will be very helpful in the
coming years. Other than the physical nature of his
defect, he has strong vitals and has never had
assistance breathing, etc.
My doctor discharged me as early as possible on Friday
morning so that I could spend the week at Primary's
with Gavin. We were finally able to come home this week.

Gavin's condition was not picked up on either of the
ultrasounds that were conducted and all signs pointed
to a completely normal and healthy baby. As I'm sure
you can imagine, we were completely shocked by the
news and needed a few days before we were able to
communicate with family and friends.
The next hurdle is monitoring him closely to see if
hydrocephalus develops, where excessive spinal fluid
builds pressure in the brain. Roughly 80% of spina
bifida patients have hydrocephalus and have a shunt
(or tube) surgically inserted into the brain with a
tube that passes under the skin all the way into the
abdomen. Gavin's neurosurgeon was hopeful that Gavin
may avoid this next surgery. But, we may not know for
weeks, or possibly months. In fact, most aspects of
Gavin's development are a "wait and see."
Our little Autumn is thrilled to have her baby brother
home and is even more excited when given the chance to feed him.

Jeff and I both are doing much better now and love our
little baby like no other. His special little legs
don't look unfamiliar to us at all. We are trying to
learn as much as possible and have millions of
questions - as we're sure you do, too.
Feel free to call or email. Please understand if it
takes a few days to respond. 
We have been overwhelmed in a good way by the support
and response we have received and appreciate every
thought and prayer on behalf of our family.
Jeff, Karen, Autumn and Gavin Peterson

 

Update on Gavin 3-23-07

We have had several appointments this week and last
week at Primary's as they watched Gavin closely as the
pressure and fluid seemed to build. On Wednesday, the
neurosurgeons still said that Gavin was borderline in
need of the shunt - and they were still trying to hold
out hope that he might avoid the surgery. Last night
at about 11:30pm, I noticed clear spinal fluid leaking
from the incision in his back. This was a dangerous
warning sign that the doctors warned us about. We
rushed him in to Primary's and they are placing the
shunt in his head today.
Hydrocephalus is an abnormal accumulation of spinal
fluid that builds within the ventricles of the brain.
Because Gavin's body was accustomed to draining the
fluid out of the opening in his back prior to his
first surgery, we had to watch him closely to see if
his body could regulate the spinal fluid on its own
after his spine was closed. Normally our bodies
produce spinal fluid on a continuous basis and it is
absorbed back into the blood stream. With spina
bifida kids, this balance is interrupted.
A shunt is a flexible tube that is placed in the
brain. Gavin will have an incision in his scalp,
behind his ear and in his abdomen. The tube will be
tunneled under his skin between these incisions and
will end in his abdomen, where the fluid can be
reabsorbed into the bloodstream.I think we all knew of the likelihood that Gavin would
require this surgery . . . unfortunately, as a mother
of a three week old infant that is having a second
major surgery . . . I am clearly devastated and not
handling it as well as I had hoped. Nevertheless, we
have developed an even stronger love for Gavin than we
thought possible and will do anything we can to
protect and care for him.
Again, thank you so much for keeping us in your
thoughts and prayers.
Please accept our apologies for not calling everyone
back or responding to emails . . . but, please know
that we sincerely appreciate everyone's support.
Again, I have attached a few pictures that our friend
took of the family at our house this week. Thank you
again, Sherry!
Jeff, Karen, Autumn and Gavin

Update on Gavin 4-17-07

Gavin is already six weeks old. He's growing so fast
and weighs over 11 pounds. Since our last update,
we've had one more stay in the hospital. Within 24
hours of coming home after the shunt surgery, we saw
fluid once again leaking from Gavin's back incision
and were back in the hospital for three more days.
They had what would have been his 3rd surgery
scheduled two days in a row and ultimately decided to
delay and hope for the best. So far, we've set a
record for time at home and have definitely enjoyed it!

Our last visit to the Spina Bifida Clinic at Primary's
was this past Friday. His incisions are all healing
well and they are pleased with the progress his legs
have made. They are relaxing more and more and we can
even see slight bend in his knees the "right way" from
time to time (they still hyperextend). We have weekly
visits from the occupational and physical therapists
in the Early Intervention program and have been
coached to "get creative" in the way we stretch his
legs. They have us on the calendar to start casting
his knees and feet on May 4th to hopefully loosen the
joints and see what progress can be made before the
inevitable surgeries begin.

Gavin will also have a comprehensive bladder and
kidney exam in the next few weeks to determine
pressure, the possibility of reflux, and kidney
function among other things. Almost all children with
an open spine in the lumber/sacral area have bladder
and bowel issues - and many are ultimately on some
form of a catheterization program.
Gavin is truly one of the sweetest and calmest babies
I have ever seen. He is very mellow and literally
will go days without crying (of course - even this
stroke of good luck makes me a bit anxious). However,
I'm taking full advantage of his temperament,
especially since Autumn needs (and demands) the attention.

We are still working on arrangements for my return to
work. We don't want Gavin to attend day care and are
trying hard to work out our schedules so that one of
us is always home with him. Wish us luck!
Again - I'm very sorry that I have not been returning
individual emails. Somehow the time slips away too
quickly . . . But, we absolutely love getting your
emails and hope that you will continue to write, call
and visit. Please let us know what questions you have
. . . we are constantly learning too!

We wish you all the best!
Love,
The Peterson Family
Jeff, Karen, Autumn and Gavin