We had our pictures done last fall and due to a lot of circumstances (way too many to list) we have just now gotten them back. For some reason blogger won't let me adjust them to where I want them so I'm just leaving them where they are, so if it looks funny... sorry :(. I think they turned out really good. I look chubby in all of them because we are sitting so it makes my belly fat hang over - but I also did just have a baby.... so I'm giving myself a little credit :)
And for some reason blogger won't put spaces between my paragraphs below so it looks like one huge one, but it at least enters and tabs a little bit so you can see the new paragraph. Something is seriously wrong with this thing.
We have had a pretty normal life the past couple of months. I actually started working again so the girls now go to my cousin Brianna's to play everyday while I'm at work. I got a job at the TAESE office at Utah State University. TAESE stands for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education. I work with a program called TASK12 (Training and Assessment in Schools K-12). This program is partnered with 14 different states and our director travels to each state a few times a year and administers the EIPA exam for Educational Interpreters that work in K-12 schools. This exam tests their level of knowledge/skill so we can be sure that the deaf and hard of hearing students get the best interpreter they can. Anyway - it's a pretty cool program and I really like my job. The office is great and the people are really nice.
On Valentines Day Brianna called me and told me that Kamry had ripped her finger open on the Toy Box at her house. She had bandaged it up but was pretty sure it needed stitches. So I left work and went and picked her up. It's amazing how swift the service is a the Insta Care when you tell them you have a child that needs stitches. It was true - Kamry needed 3 stitches in her pinky finger. She was so brave. I couldn't believe how tough she was. When they took her bandage off to see the damage it even shocked me because I thought for sure with that she should have been screaming, but she just sat there. Even when they were cleaning it with saline, she just kind of whimpered a little. She did cry when they actually put in the stitches, but after that she was totally fine. We just had to keep it dry and clean for a week and then I took her back to get the stitches out. You can barely even tell she cut it open. She was such a trooper!
Paislee has started sitting up on her own. She looks so big. At 5 months I started her on rice cereal and baby food. She took to it so easily. You can tell she's not scared of eating cause she is a chunky monkey! I love it! Her little cheeks are SO BIG! At her 6 month doctors appointment she was measuring so big. I don't remember exactly but she was almost 18 pounds (which Kamry is at like 22 pounds). And she's only a few inches shorter than Kamry. It's crazy how fast they grow big.
We put our house back on the market on March 1. We've had a few people look at it, but no offers yet. It will come. We just have to be patient. Thank heaven for tax returns though :) We got a nice tax return this year and were able to pay off a lot of bills so that helps relieve stress. We only have one more hospital bill to pay off and then we can apply all of my check to my student loans and hopefully get them paid off within a couple years. I have set a goal that we will not pay on them more than 3 years. That is the maximum I'm allowing myself to pay on them. It shocks me when people continue to pay on student loans for 10 years or more. WHY? Anyway - sometimes I get mad at myself for going to school (because I'm not really using my degree) but at the same time.... especially at the University, it helps to have a degree. My supervisor Shauna said that was the clincher for me getting my job. I was very qualified, but having my degree was a big plus so it's totally worth it.
For those of you who don't know, or don't remember, I got my BS in Social Work. I really had planned on using it, but I decided that we needed the good insurance and benefits from the University so that's why I came back. And another big part was that as a social worker, you're on call, you work weekends, you work holidays and with small kids and a growing family.... I didn't want to risk not being there for holidays and stuff. It's so much better being home at night with them and not having to work on the weekends so we can spend time as a family.
One of our really good friends (he's one of Nate's best friends and like a brother to us) - Dallas, had a brain aneurysm rupture back in February. He was life flighted to Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) in Murray, UT. He was in ICU for 3 weeks and then was transferred to the VA Hospital in SLC for rehab. He is a former Marine and served 2 tours in Iraq before turning 21. He was also going to USU majoring in Geology and was set to graduate in December 2012 with his bachelors degree. He is doing really good. At first he couldn't move his left side because he had a stroke on his way to IMC hospital but he is starting to learn how to walk again. He is doing so good. It's going to be a long road ahead for his recovery, but he is doing amazing after only 6 weeks. Here are a few stats on brain aneurysms that I didn't know. Dallas' girlfriend Laci posted these so people could see how amazing Dallas is: (This came from the doctors at IMC) 1 out of 10,000 people suffer from this type of aneurysm and 3-25 in 100,000 of these people have their aneurysm rupture (his ruptured at least 2x). 50% of these people do not make it to the hospital and another 25% do not make it more than 24 hours. This leaves 25% who survive, 15% of these will have some type of disability, 10% end up normal. He is well on his way to being in the 10%! Although, we are extremely grateful he is even in the last 25%.
It's crazy when things like this happen. A bunch of our friends got together and did a benefit to help raise money for him for medical bills and stuff. Sofa's Corner in Garland, UT (it's a small bar) let us do the benefit there. They were totally awesome. There were TONS of people there and they made bracelets that say Dallas F. Nutt USMC Semper Fi on them and have the marine llogo. One of our friends (Jessica and her boyfriend) made T-shirts that said "Support your Nutt's" on the front and then USMC and Semper Fi on the back. They've ordered a bunch so when I have ours I'll take a picture and post it. This benefit raised a ton of money for him. It was so awesome to see.
I'll try and post more often. We have some events coming up (Easter, Kamry's 2nd Birthday, summer fun etc... ) so I'll try and keep up.
