Delightful December *Dec. 2013*

Steven:
Steven started doing a comic strip for the Wasatch View, a local news paper. After a few issues they also had him start writing an article for The Geek Report (more on that in a future post). This was a great opportunity for him to exercise his creative muscles but mostly he just liked the extra fun money he had to play with. We went to the Christmas party and got this awesome white elephant gift. Unfortunately it got taken away by someone else.

He had a shoot in Cedar City just after our return from Texas and went and saw the Hobit with some friends. Steven's niece Emily was heading to the MTC so they came up a little early so we could all spend sometime with her before she went to the MTC (She lives in Seattle). Her trip consisted of a temple night that I didn't go to because I was weary to leave her with anyone but Grandma Heumann for that long and she was obviously going to the temple with her Granddaughter.  After that I met them all for dinner at Chuck-a-rama. It was a nice time.This was also shortly after he had attended Master of Influence with Kirk Duncan. It was a very positive experience for him.

Christmas day Steven's brother David came to town. One day while they were out shopping he sent me this photo in a text...

asking if he could get this $120.00 action figure. My answer was no. It was just day's after Christmas and our bank account was depleted. Well his kind and loving brother David decided to buy it for him.

daddy now had a new baby but Uncle David offered Olivia some comfort.

Becky (me):
While Emily and some of her family were in town we also had a girls night at Cafe Rio. Emily absolutely loved Olivia and I couldn't blame her.

As I mentioned in my last post I had noticed that the benign cyst in my left breast that I had discovered in 2012 had largely increased in size and was becoming painful. After an ultrasound, a consult with my PA, and a surgeon, it was decided that we should remove the cyst. I had hoped to put if off because I didn't want it to interfere with nursing but it was becoming too bothersome. On December 12th we arrived at the hospital at 6:15 for 7:30 surgery.  I was out fast. I remember talking to the nurse about how she had a daughter named Becky and the next thing I knew I was waking up. When I woke up I  Cried a little /and I was thinking about Stephanie. I don't remember anything about when I was under but I do wonder if I had some experience with Stephanie. I was discharged just before 10. On our way home we picked up Tylenol and some breakfast at Black Bear diner (I love their California eggs Benedict). After eating Steven took my mom home. She had come to see me sing at the RS party and spent the night so she could get the kids off to school while we were gone. I was a little concerned about her babysitting because of her declining health but we took Olivia with us so she just had Sam once Jennie picked the big kids up for school. Tim came to give me a blessing and then I took a nap for about 3 hours. After school we had each of the kids come into my room for a visit. Sam wanted to kiss my owies and kept running into the room saying "my turn!"  I spent the rest of the day in the front room listening to Christmas music and resting. I pumped an dumped once and then Liv nursed well. 

I had been asked to help put the program together for the RS Christmas program. It was nice to sing again since I was missing our Women at the Well practices. I sang "Oh Holy Night" as a solo for the first time ever and felt pretty good about it.

Max:
So there isn't much to say about Max that is non-Christmas stuff. He is just super cute and I love him. He had lots of fun with Tyler and David when they were here for Christmas. One day they went shopping and Max bought an action figure that came in a double pack. He already had one of them and knew that Tyler was wanting the other so Max gave it to him. Later that day they were at Gamestop and Tyler had a gift card. He knew that Max was saving his money for Mine Craft and Tyler couldn't find anything he wanted so he bought Mine Craft for Max. Max had so much fun playing video games with Tyler and was extremely grateful that Tyler bought him Mine Craft.

Elese: 
Elese read to Olivia.

She also had a super fun birthday.We had planned her party for December 14th before I knew I would be having surgery so I recruited some help from Elese's cousins. She had all of them on the invite list anyway so I decided to just put the big girl cousins to work.

The theme was Princess Charm school. It was based on a Barbie movie and book so we gave out dvds and books as party favors. When each girl arrived I would shout downstairs to the "salon", "Welcome Princess Ella!" and then everyone down stairs would cheer for them. That's where her cousin's jumped in and did hair and painted nails. 

Then we talked about etiquette and went upstairs for a tea party (finger foods & Hot Chocolate) and birthday cake. 

Elese saw this cake in a cook book she got from the Library. I wasn't sure she would like it. It called for cherry extract and my sweet friend Becky went around town and found some for me since I had just had surgery. She even offered to make it for me. I love her.  After the party Elese said something like, "I thought I'd like the cake but I didn't. It was pretty though." 

 Then it was time for Kiss the Frog, 

 balancing books on their heads, 

Kindness charades, 

 and presents. 

Sam:
 He learned to say, "darn it!" He and Elese gave Olivia lots of loves and it looked like they were zombies trying to eat her. Which is extra funny because she could make zombie noises.

 On December 19th he started a yucky illness. When he threw up the first time he said, "Mommy, let's play choo " *vomit*. Then I said, "oh no Sam, did you throw up?" He said, "No, minion throw up". He also called me minion mommy that day. 

The next day he was sick again. When he woke up he gave Steven a big hug and Steven loved it until he realize Sam was covered in throw up. He was still sick on the 22nd. He said, "No throw up again. Bye bye throw up."  He didn't like pedialite. We made him have some before he could have his turn on angry birds. He said, "no like it" then he started to not even put the cup in his mouth and say, "Little bit" and pretend to drink it. We didn't fall for it and could tell by the disgusted look on his face that he got some. After the last drink he made a grossed out look and said, "yummy". That night Sam threw up again at the same time as every other night. About 11pm. He was very lethargic. Steven took Sam to primary's.  He was no longer dehydrated (we had been pumping him with liquids. The doc had said if he didn't pee by a certain time to take him in and he did pee) and they said it is a nasty virus that was going around. They gave us a prescription to help soften his stomach and stop the vomiting. We should give it to him before bed and any other time he complains of a stomach ache. He was very cranky...he loved his nurse Rhonda because she have him a "blue car." After that he stopped throwing up and after a few days got his energy back.  

There was a bit of jealousy over daddy's new superman toy so Uncle David decided to let the spoiling continue and bought this gem for Sam.

This combined with David staying at our house instantly put him at the top of Sam's short list of favorite people. Every night when David was out with other family members Sam would ask "Where Uncle David?" They became good buddies.

Olivia:
 On December 3rd Olivia experienced her first snow on her head and she reached her arms out to try to touch it.  She even tried to catch it on her tongue. She saw snow for the first time in Texas but didn't have any of it actually touch her. On December 4th she sat in a shopping cart for the first time.

On December 16th she sat up for the first time. This picture was taken 10 day's earlier. I had been propping her up in hopes of her learning to sit up. She was a little late sitting up so I decided I would try and help her out.

She also took a bottle again. It was such a rare occurrence that it was worthy of a photo.