Heidi Anne's First Grade Experiance

Well, we're less than two weeks away from Heidi Anne starting Second Grade and I realized that I never wrote a single thing about her life during First Grade. Most of this oversight is the result of my pregnancy and having a new born baby. Well, better late than never.

Lucky for me, she had a special project to do each month and the teacher, Mrs. Bellingham, saved the work and made a special book for every student. This is the cover page, which reads "My First Grade Art Book", giving us a snapshot of her school year.  I'll translate what she wrote in case it's difficult to see in the pictures in purple, my own thoughts will be in blue.  
An additional note about Heidi's progress in First Grade, she went from being unable to identify the sound each letter of the alphabet makes to reading chapter books. I think it's due to her teacher being a perfect match in personality for Heidi (and getting her ADHD treated so she could focus). Her teacher said that my homework routine helped out as well. Especially at the beginning, when she had difficulty and suffered major frustration, but we kept on and tracked the tiniest of milestones. Somehow, it all clicked with her. Yeah for awesome First Grade teachers! 

On the first day of First grade I liked school.

(This is a picture of her on the first day, she looks so exhausted because she was the last one to get her picture taken.)

Apples are a fruit.

Apples are red.

Apples are sweet.

Bats

Bats can fly. Bats have families. Bats are the only mammal thet [that] flies. Bats use echolocation to find food.

I am thankful for my mom and dad. I am thankful for my dog and my cat. I am thankful for school. But most of all I am thankful for my bed.

Let me explain that last one, there were some homeless / transient children in her school that they had a fundraiser for. Secondly, Heidi Anne was the only student in class to be thankful for school. 

Rudolph has a funny nose. It glows red. He eats lots of licorice. He eats lots of raspberries, too.  

Who does this look like to you? Well, my first thought was a vampire, with a weird uni-brow and a mustache, hunting at night. Turns out it's Martin Luther King, Jr taking a walk at night. (I bet you're now seeing the vampire, too.) 

Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream. He wanted people to be nice. He wanted fair laws. He wanted equal rights. He wanted people to love - not fight. 

.

Somebody loves me just the way I am. My mom and dad give me hugs. My mom loves me. My mom and dad give me snacks. They take me to the library. They ready me books. I am a love monster because I love them.

Abraham Lincoln 

Abraham Lincoln was born on the February the 12th. He was the 16th President. He was a kind man and an honest man. He was called "Honest Abe".

George Washington 

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Virginia. He was the first president. He led the Revolutionary War,

My baby brother is worth more to me than gold because he's fun.

(Insert heart melting awww and "that's so sweet")

Back to awesome teacher. Since Heidi Anne had been an only child up to this point and knew she would have a hard time no longer being the center of attention, Mrs. Ballingham wrote her a lovely letter and gave her a little gift. When Heidi Anne opened it, there was another note reading "To play once a day with any parent who can". The gift was two different card games. That started a new habit of Charlie and Heidi Anne playing a card game once a day. It takes only a few minutes, but it's HER few minutes. I don't think we would have ever thought of that without her. She also gave Rory a cute little outfit.  

Spring is here.

Pretty butterfly is here.

Roses are pretty flowers.

I am happy it is [spring].

Green grass grows. 

When I grow up I want to be a vet. I want to help pets and wild animals. A vet can give your pets shots to help [them] feel better. I want to help zoo animals. 

I am awesome because I am good at reading.

Heidi Anne, the morning of the last day of school.

Heidi Anne with Mrs. Ballingham on the last day of school. Again Mrs. Ballingham went above and beyond on the last day of school. She gave Heidi Anne five books, because Heidi loves to read and never gave up. Her books were; "A Bad Case of Stripes," "I Knew I Could", "Junie B. Jones and the Stinky Smelly Bus", "Old Yeller", and "Clementine". I wish every child could have a teacher like her for every grade of school.   

Moving Day!! (Again)

Yeah, we moved out of that small apartment in Utah to a house in Wyoming. The city we moved to reminds me a lot of Providence, Utah but without Logan just a few miles away. During the final packing and moving stages Heidi Anne was with my sister-in-law (whom I would like to thank again for taking her for the weekend). Meanwhile, Rory stayed with us. We all woke up around 6:00 am and packed the last few items still out. Then we put all the boxes and other items in our "staging area" (aka. the kitchen with the sliding door). 

Once that was done we went to pick up the U-Haul truck, I made a joke along the lines of what would happen if the help came before we returned with the truck. Well, I got home before Char and there was a guy just hanging around our front door. At that very moment Char texted me "Oh, there is a guy there, he's one of my co-workers so don't worry." Which I'm glad he did, otherwise I would have called Char to verify that the guy really knew him and was really there to help.

In theory, people from our church were coming at 10:00 am to help us move. By 10:30 am no one else had showed up despite my bribes of donuts, cool water, and juice. I felt bad for the two guys, so I called to remind some people that we desperately needed help. Within 20 minutes 5 more guys to help with packing and one lady to help with Rowan arrived. It was amazing! In less than four hours EVERYTHING was packed into the truck in a nice, orderly fashion. It was truly a miracle. 

Then began our hour long drive to our new home. I was so excited I took a selfie! My very first selfie ever! Then I took a picture of my sidekick. She was a little stressed at first but soon fell asleep, just like Rowan did in the back seat. 

Before I knew it, we had arrived to our new home. I tried to help Char unload the truck, but Rowan had other plans. They involved ONLY Momma, ALL the time. Then another miracle happened. Char's dad came up to help us unload the truck AFTER participating in a marathon race, that's roughly 26 miles! Somehow, after that he was able to help us out. Which I thought was amazing, because it would have taken forever if it had been just the two of us unloading. 
                                                                                                           
If you were wondering, Heidi Anne loves the house, especially the back yard. She tried to pick as many dandy lions as she could before Char mowed the lawn. It was funny to watch. A little girl trying to be a few rows ahead of her Daddy, gathering as many dandy lions as her little hands could hold, take a deep breath, and blow as hard as possible. Then the whole process would repeat itself until all the dandy lions had been mowed. She also wants to learn how to ride a horse, too. She has for a while but now she "has to if she ever wants to be a real cowgirl." --Direct Quote 

What's in a Name Part II

After Heidi Anne was born I wrote a post explaining why we chose the names we did for her ( you can see that one in 2010/July - What's in a Name. Well, here are the reasons for Rory's.

Rowan- Little Red One 

         To be honest I love the name Rowan for what the Rowan tree symbolizes to a verity of cultures from ancient Greece, to the Norse, the Celts and though out the British Ilses . In folklore the Rowan tree helped to guide wayfaring travelers on their way through life. During the last 18 months - 2 years that is exactly how we felt.  The Rowan tree also symbolizes endurance, protection, healing, and strength. These were all qualities we wanted our little boy to have. NOW, if you ask Heidi Anne she will say he’s named after Rory in Doctor Who. The Doctor Who Rory is a time traveling nurse who protected his wife over and over, which is awesome! 

William – Strong-Willed Warrior / Determined Protector (It varies) 

            He’s named after Char, who’s middle name is William, his dad, and my Uncle Bill. All of whom are great examples and role models in their own ways. Char is a hard working man to provide for his family and so I can stay home with the kids. He's loving, strong, and driven. Besides, what child doesn't want to be like their dad when they grow up? Rory's Grandpa is the same way. My Uncle Bill has been with my Uncle Don for over 38 years! Which in this day and age is rare. That takes serious dedication and love. My uncle also likes a good roller-coaster ride and trying new or different things in life. 
I would be proud if my son grew up to be like any of them. 

Daddy and Rory

Heidi Anne with Grandpa

Uncle Bill in Helsinki

Wright - Apparently this means Worker

        This additional middle name wasn't planned in advance. It's after the nurse who helped me during the most painful and scariest part of my labor. She was right by my side, made me her sole patient on a busy night, and had to be forced from my room for her mandatory break. (She still came back early). At one point I asked her if she was the angel I had been praying for. I'm still not sure what would have happened to us if she hadn't of been such a strong and proactive advocate for me. Nurse Wright was a God send. 

Rory at 5 Weeks old!!

First Camping Trip Ever

Preface: This post was written on 8/6/13. The next day I was admitted to the U of U's ICU. I just barely found this post today-2 years later.  

Since Heidi Anne has been about 2 years old we've gone on a little trip around her birthday. We've gone to the Grand Tetons, Bryce Canyon, and this year we spent the night in the Cache Forest at Bear Lake. This was the very first time we went camping as a family. I got some great advice from my friend, Valerie, what camp site, activities, or just some general tips. 

We decided to take it easy with camping. This was Heidi Anne's first camping trip and our first one since we're been married. Because I'm me and on top of that I was feeling unwell. But this was her birthday wish.

Char got a gift card from work. He had a great idea of we'd all go out to eat a good  lunch. That way if something bad happened to the camping food we wouldn't be as cranky. After our fun lunch we heading up the canyon. Heidi Anne promptly helped out. She would bring out some of the supplies from the car, didn't get under foot very much. But that could have been her "job" was to bring out some firewood. 

While we made our chicken dinner in a dutch over Heidi Anne kept herself busy by playing with blocks of wood and sticks. Heidi Anne and I would go and explore the surrounding forest right around our camp site while Char kept an eye on dinner. 

After our yummy dinner we played different card games. Then all three of us went on a longer walk through the whole camp site. The whole day she talked about how excited she was to have her first camping trip, What she wanted more than anything was to see the stars. Once twilight came Char brought out the the fixings for our s'mores while the stars slowly made their appearance. We did learn that Heidi Anne loves roasting marshmallows, but isn't keen on eating them. She ended up eating a deconstructed s'mores. How she loved all the bright clear stars! 

We then spent the coldest night of our lives! We didn't pack nearly enough blankets nor did we have any foam barriers to protect us from the bumpy rocks. On the bright side, she loved getting up to see the sunrise!

Epilogue: My friend Valerie now has her own blog about traveling at: http://www.51centadventures.com (I can't make it hyperlink!!)

Letters From Heidi Anne

Heidi Anne has learned a ton in first grade. Her favorite thing to do right now is to write notes to me, composes "poems", and writes little stories. Here are her Mother's Day Cards to me as well as some of her other notes. I will be using the exact grammar and spelling as she had written them.

(The flowers are made from her finger prints). Inside it reads: 

Mom, thank you for your good food you make. I love you.

Love,

Heidi

(Again the flowers are from her finger prints.)

Inside it reads: 

Dear Mom,

You are the gradist mom I have ever have. You are the best mom I ever had.

Love,

Heidi

This note is a response to a note I wrote for her on a Saturday morning letting her know I had set out breakfast for her, to stay quiet and that she could watch some TV. This was the note she gave me in return. 

Mommy,

You are my Mommy so I love you so, so, so , so , so march.

This note is a response to a note I wrote for her on a Easter morning asking her to wait in her room until we came and got her.

Hi Mommy,

I have a note to you. You give me a note today.

I love you!! You are my Mommy.

Love,

Heidi

This is her thank-you letter to the Easter Bunny (she even drew a cute little picture).

Dear Easter Bunny,                                         04-06-15

Thank you for the candy, the scooter, and the soccer ball.

Love,

Heidi

I wanted to post her poems or a story, however, she's at school and I don't have her permission. If you get her go ahead to read one of her stories it's a big deal. Maybe she'll write and publish a book just like her Uncle Don. 

Eight Months in A Nut Shell

I haven't really shared this, but we had lost four pregnancies before we had Heidi Anne. After she was born were told that I had suffered some trauma. That trauma combined with my ill health would make getting and staying pregnant again nearly impossible.When we got married we wanted to have 2-3 children. However, after all the losses, we we thrilled to just have her. We quickly came to terms that we were going to be an only child family.

Yeap, Third Test and Still Pregnant. 

Travel back to June 2014 with me. Char was in nursing school full time, working full time, studying full time, and sleeping sparingly. Our apartment lacks A/C, so when I kept getting sick I blamed the heat. Even when I was 2 weeks late, I still blamed the heat. (Of course, Char knew better the day I was late). Finally, I caved and took the test. It was positive, as you can see, I was in shock, fear, excited, and surprised more than anything.

Hello, Gummy Bear Baby!

Towards the end of July we had the first OB appointment. I was 7 weeks along. We saw that little gummy bear sized baby. The anxiety increased by the second as they started to look for the baby's heartbeat. I was holding my breath the whole time until I heard that strong beat, First words out of my mouth were "Thank Heavens!"

At 19 Weeks Along

Then came the unrelenting "morning" sickness. I was constantly sick (pretty much until the day the baby was born).The slightest off putting smell made me sick. Things I liked, I couldn't stand anymore. For example, bananas, Normally I LOVE them. I love Banana Nut Muffins, bread, frozen bananas. Not anymore. Char helped with the cooking, when he was home, otherwise it was the same 5 meals or sandwiches.

Around week 15 it only got worse. Heartburn got thrown into the mix. It was rather frustrating to have heartburn when I didn't feel sick. It was a nightmare to suffer from both simultaneously. Sometimes eating was the furthest thing from my mind. One day I said to Heidi (half joking), "Tell me to eat something." Her response? "Momma, eat something or else the baby WILL DIE and Daddad will be SAD and CRY."--I did eat some crackers after that one.

At 28 Weeks Along

In late September I found my saving grace - EGG NOG!! How I craved it! Bonus it was the ONLY thing I could drink that didn't make me sick nor gave me heartburn! I was so lucky a majority of my pregnancy was during the holidays. I had at least a quart a day (if not more) of egg nog. I was so disappointed in early January when my ample supply vanished. 

The Look of Disappointment

We found out at 20 weeks we found out the baby was a boy. When we reveled this to Heidi Anne she said "NO Daddy, you're wrong! It's going to be a little sister, I want and have prayed for a baby sister. We told her "Sunshine, the doctor says it's a boy." "They're wrong!" she cried out. Then she came to me and said "Momma, I want you to find a new doctor, one that says it's a girl!  Eventually, she came to terms with having a little brother. 

At 35.5 Weeks Along

Around 30 weeks, I was in a car accident, which triggered contractions. I got to stay in the hospital for 24 hours for observation. The plus side, I got a trail run of how my delivery would go. The down side? The Braxton-Hicks contracts never stopped. They stayed around 3 per hour - for 6 weeks. What made them finally stop? Our little guy decided he wanted out. He was born a month premature at 36.3 weeks along. Oddly enough, the exact same gestation age as Heidi Anne. However, the arrival of this new little one is another story. 



P.S This is the last picture of me pregnant, my water broke 5 days later! 

My Letter To Baby at 12 Weeks

Hey Stormy,
Well that's your name for now, Stormageddon Dark Lord of All, Stormy for short. I can't wait to know your personality more - and your gender will help. You've only been here a few weeks and I hope you take after your sister (who is thrilled to be a big sister) and you are strong and stubborn.
    You maybe little but you have already changed a few things. First would be bananas. Normally I LOVE them.  I love Banana Nut Muffins, bread, frozen bananas, even the smell of bananas. Well Stormy, apparently you LOATH them. Just the thought of banana's gets to me.
      I feel like this is my first pregnancy. It's been nearly 6 years since I was pregnant last. I have nearly forgotten everything. I didn't track, blog, or properly write down anything when I had your sister. I have nothing to referrer back to. Well, let's not make the same mistake twice. 

P.S- 
Dear Rowan,
Can you say EPIC FAIL? I DID make that mistake again! 
Sorry kiddo.

Special Secret / Secret Sorrow

**NOTE - I wrote this the day I found out I was pregnant with Rowan, but I just didn't have the courage to post. However, I wish I had posted it back then and it's still a good read.**

Knowing your pregnant can be a special secret that only you and maybe the father know. It's fun knowing something is growing in you. As soon as you see that little positive sign on that test you start to wonder. Are you a boy or girl? Will you have brown eye like me or blue like your dad? Will you have those adorable dimples like your sister? Will you have brown hair or blonde?  What will your first word be?  

As a mom I already dream about skinned knees you'll have. I think of all the fun you'll have with your cousins. How cute you'll look with your sister in pictures and how she will whine that you've stolen her toys. How you will hit her and she will tell you "Use your feeling words, don't bite." How she will show you off one minute and can't stand you the next. Knowing full well you'll do the same to her. I think of how much fun you'll have with your cousins.

I know full well of the sleepless nights, the teething, the fevers, the coughs. You'll spit-up on my clothes three minutes to heading out the door. You'll go though diapers faster than I think it's possible for such a tiny person to be able to do. You'll cry during your baths, because the bottle is to slow, because I'm not cuddling you the right way, because I dared to put you down when you finally get to sleep and I NEED a shower. 

Why do many moms kept it quite until 12 weeks? We've lost a baby ( or 2, or 3) or know that we can lose you. We know that no one else feels the loss the same way mommy does. Daddy can be a close second. We're depressed. Some family or friends may notice. If we're really lucky (and I mean like extremely lucky) we may have a few close friends or sisters who've been in our shoes. They offer the right support. They let you cry. They acknowledge the loss. Those special friends / sisters who avoid saying all those well meaning but horrible at the time sounding things. 

You keep it quite because you don't want to hear...

"Well, you're young" or "You are getting old."

Who cares about my age, I just lost my baby and all those hopes and dreams. Thanks for reminding me of my age it just adds insult to injury.

"You'll have more."

Yes, I'm sure I will. But honestly, getting pregnant again is the furthest thing from my mind right now. 

"I knew a lady who had several miscarriages and she went on to have six kids." 

I'm happy for her, but right now, please recognize my loss. 

"It wasn't around very long. It was hardly the size of a Gold Fish. It didn't even have a personality or a name."

It was going to have a name (for some moms the baby already did have one). But there in lays in my sorrow. I didn't get to spend enough time with my baby. 

"Your baby is in heaven. You'll see them again."

Thanks for thinking they're in heaven. But right now I would rather still be pregnant and holding my baby in 6 or 7 months. Not after I'm dead. 

"Science says that nearly all miscarriages are the result of genetic abnormalities so carrying the baby to term won't happen." 

Thanks for that, I read many studies trying to find out why, why, why on earth I lost my baby. Yet hearing that out loud right now seems cold.

From reading this I bet you think "So I can't say anything right?" Sure you can. Just let us cry a little. Understand that it's the same as losing a family member. I knew a girl that lost her baby. She told us she was crying a little at work and didn't want to go through slew of things I wrote above. So she lied a little and told us that there was a death in her family. People gave condolences, hugs, just that support you give. Treat us like that. Pretend it's our third cousin twice removed if it helps you. 

Trust me, you treating it like our baby was a person outside of us, is all we want. You wouldn't tell someone "Oh, you lost your third cousin twice removed, well you're still young." 

Just A Little Older

 It's bazaar how fast and simultaneously slow time can go. When your not watching it just goes by. When your enjoying every moment it goes even faster. When you're having a rough go it just drags on. I'm learning it's the pace at which parenting happens. Its weird watching your little girl grow up. There are times when I miss having tea parties at 1:30 or getting to the park early in the crisp cool morning and staying until well past lunch. 
           I miss those cute little chubby cheeks that gave me sticky kisses after getting her from daycare. I miss her extra aunts, brothers and sisters she had there. How she would follow some of the older children around little a little duck, having friends as close as siblings, and loving any new babies that joined her world (yet slightly jealous of the extra attention they got from her Suesue). I wish I could be there first hand or have a loving Suesue to update me as if I were there myself to update me on every little thing she did or the funny things she said. Yet at the time I was so excited for her to be just a little older, a little older. 

            I still feel that way, just a little older. But now I think back and wonder "I miss when she was just a little younger." I miss those seeing life through a child's eyes. Last night I dreamed about when we went to the Tetons for the 4th of July. Heidi Anne was nearly 2 years old. Sitting snugly on her Daddy's lap staring at the huge fireworks saying "Oh Stars! Thank-you Stars!!" 

Love her Smile in the Mirror

            I tired so hard to enjoy every moment of her baby, toddler, and pre-school ages. I know we have many, many adventures ahead. She still has so much learning to do. I can still tease her and she still believes I know everything under the sun and that her daddy hangs the moon. I know in 6 years from now I will pine for the "Good Ole' Days" when she was just in Kindergarten, where the worst thing to fear is her hair getting in tangles, skinning her knee at recess, only having 20 minutes of reading and a page of homework a night.  Her dreams are to have hair as long as Rapunzel, which is down to her waist so she is well on her way. She's old enough to love Doctor Who but young enough to love playing dress up. Each age and stage seems to hold something special. Well, growing up is better than regressing. 

To The Airplane Museum

 We've been meaning to go to Hill Air Force Base Airplane museum for a few years now. Saturday was another cold, rainy day. We woke to discover a leak in our apartment. While Char tried to figure out what was going on and try to save our living room I figured today would be a good day to get out of the house with Heidi Anne. 

When I told her we were going to have an adventure and go to the plane museum she started jumping up and down. She was saying "I LOVE it when your friend Valerie comes and visits! I can't wait to see the twin girls! We're going to have so much fun!" I kept telling her that Valerie wasn't coming today, she lives far away. That didn't stop her asking or telling me "Mommy, we have to wait for your friend. They'll get lost if we go to far ahead." 

As soon as we pulled in Heidi Anne noticed something. The airplanes outside the building have picnic tables under the wings. There were a lot of planes outside. We were both sad that it was to cold, rainy, and we didn't know we could have a picnic there. She promptly declared "Next time we come, we are bringing either Kayliah and her family or your friend Valerie's family. We are going to see ALL the planes outside and eat under the neat planes."

I was surprised at all the planes they have there! Everything from models of the Wright brother's planes to F-16's. Most of the materials have been donated, things from uniforms, documents, planes, ect and the displays recreated to great detail. Heidi Anne thought it was fun that you could go up a balcony and have the air control tower with uniformed dummies from WWII looking back and pointing at you. There are a number of WWII model airplanes surrounding it. Heidi Anne thought they were real people at first and started waving to them.

Sadly, both my phone and camera died while we were still in the first half of the first gallery. Which only covered the end of the European Theater of WWII. They had a section showing women in WWII. On this plane only women are shown making repairs / flying the planes to the ports. Heidi Anne would point out the "lady fighters" when we would come near the area. 

There were lots of planes and displays. Right up to the current war. They had a Blackbird! I was telling Heidi Anne how the HUGE jet we were looking at was once a top secret plane. She looked at me and asked "Who do you keep a GIANT plane like that a secret? Didn't the news just tell everybody? Were the people working on it blind? How did they not tell anyone?" This elderly man nearby chuckled and then told her "People were asked not to tell and they kept their promise, otherwise lots of people could have been very hurt." Heidi then told him "I bet they didn't have new people then. They tell everything." Which got more laughter and a "Out of the mouth of babes."

We are going back in a bit. We barely got through the Korean war before she started to tire out.  She wanted to go see the big jets and helicopters, and anything with pictures or "people"around them. I know we missed seeing a lot of planes. At least it's free. Oh, and one thing caught her eye on our way out. 

On our way out she saw this red phone box, ran to it, froze, she seemed so disappointed. I asked her what was wrong. She looked at me and said in a sad voice "It's the wrong color. It should be blue, the TARDIS is a BLUE phone box."  I told her "Well sweetie, that's how people tell the difference between a real phone box and a tardis." She perked up, then looked at the man inside it and told him "That's not the Tardis. It's just a phone. Mommy, when are we coming back?"

PS. We still have that leak. No one can seem to locate it. Anyone have a wet / dry vac or something we could borrow?