Here's a video of him the other night before bed. He's a little grumpy and doesn't really want to be showing off for the camera but his mother made him! Not quite his best performance but at least he kind of cooperated! : )
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Radio Flyer Walker Wagon
Sam received one of his Christmas presents a little early and he is loving it! I searched hard for a walker that was a little more sturdy and not as light weight as the plastic ones. This is just perfect and pretty cute too! He loves to motor around behind it and is so much more upright and confident in the short week and a half that he has had it! It's fun to watch him. His normal is to go across the living room and into the kitchen and then he ditches the wagon and walks along the dishwasher and cupboards! He is getting so close to being able to walk on his own! We had our first session with our new Iowa physical therapist this week and things went well. We are happy to be back at that again and excited to see how much Sam keeps learning and changing! He's worked pretty hard to get here! We're close and oh so proud!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
My Grandpa
I should be working on our Christmas cards right now but I'm lacking motivation. I so enjoy receiving them from family and friends but am struggling to get our's done!
So instead I wanted to share a few pictures from today! This morning we were able to visit my grandpa in Hampton at the care center. He said he was feeling pretty well and he looked great. He really enjoyed watching Sam play and it was wonderful to get to spend a little time with him. He is hanging in there healthwise but just seems tired. It's sad to seem him without the light hearted fire I remember. We are so thankful Sam knows him so I wanted to share a few pictures of their time together today.
So instead I wanted to share a few pictures from today! This morning we were able to visit my grandpa in Hampton at the care center. He said he was feeling pretty well and he looked great. He really enjoyed watching Sam play and it was wonderful to get to spend a little time with him. He is hanging in there healthwise but just seems tired. It's sad to seem him without the light hearted fire I remember. We are so thankful Sam knows him so I wanted to share a few pictures of their time together today.
Four generations
He'd rather watch Sam : )
Special.
Just checking him out a bit more
Monday, November 30, 2009
Pictures
Playing before bed and getting into his hip brace for the night
Evidently a little work to be done after his bath : )
Enjoying Mom's birthday cake!
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Too cute to just share one picture
New Christmas jams
A little extra snuggle time to end my 28th birthday
Never gets old.
We hope you had a very nice Thanksgiving with your family. Thanks for checking in on us!
Hope you enjoyed seeing a few pictures of our Sam.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pictures I Enjoy
Messy snack but he loves them!
I love love love HyVee (a grocery store in IA)! Sam loves loves loves balloons so we were looking the other day while getting groceries. They have a clearance tub where we can get balloons for only 50 cents! Only catch is the choices are a little limited. This time we could choose baby's first christening or American Idol! Cheap and easy fun for Sam though!
Cute as he was climbing on my lap not cooperating for pictures.
Funny eyes/ face while making strange noises as he played!
Showing the puppy a little love.
Sitting still for a second - handsome little guy
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Missing These Guys Much---
Haven't caught up with any more pictures or posts of our last few weeks in Denver yet because it makes me too sad to go through the pictures. These are a few of my favorites- pictures and people I mean. We are sure missing them already!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Iowa
Hey friends. We are here! We are 85% settled! We are happy to be spending the week together before Bryan starts work on the 16th! We are feeling pretty blessed and thankful for the great opportunity that lies ahead of us. And we are busy loving on our delightful little boy!!! Pictures of Sam coming soon- I have a few I'd love to share. Hope you are well! JR
Monday, November 2, 2009
Iowa Bound
Well it's official and the secret is out... the Rempt's are headed to Iowa for good at the end of this week! Bryan accepted an offer from County Materials in Iowa City and starts mid November. It is a great move for him careerwise and he's excited for the challenge of running the plant there. Meanwhile, Sam and I will be holding down the fort at home in Coralville! We are excited for this opportunity look forward to being back in Iowa with family and friends. On the other hand, we are sad sad sad to be leaving Denver. It's a wonderful city to live in and even more so, we hate to leave my siblings here. It has been so so wonderful to be 10 minutes from Matt and Jamie both this past year. Pretty strange that all three of us ended up in the same city for a bit. If we could have been picky, this opportunity would have come two years down the road but evidently we were just meant to have one short, jam-packed year here. Bittersweet for sure. We make the official drive back later this week!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
25 Random Things About Me
1. I love love love my husband. Wife is my very favorite title.
2. I have naturally curly hair that I straighten almost every day.
3. I often rewrite lists, post its and other notes to make them look neater. I retyped many worksheets and such at school to make them work and look better too.
4. I love and can’t live without blue Chapstick brand chapstick.
5. I enjoy Diet Mt Dew and hot tamales (the candy) kept in the refrigerator so they are extra hard and chewy.
6. I don’t go to bed until the kitchen sink and counter around it are clean.
7. I love giving Sam baths and smelling his clean hair afterwards.
8. Fall is my favorite season for sure. I take time to notice the beautiful colors.
9. I taught 3rd graders for a long time and actually missed a few back to school teacher tasks the last two falls… getting nametags and desks ready, setting up my room, etc.
10. My 2nd toe is longer than my first which causes problems in shoes sometimes.
11. If all goes well, I'd love to have 4 kids… two boys and then two girls if I could be picky!!
12. I'd rather clean the houses of friends and family any day before cleaning my own!
13. I particularly dislike dusting and emptying the dishwasher.
14. I enjoy hosting and can’t wait to do it more often.
15. I am a big fan of the Today Show, E! News and The Doctors.
16. I am a tender heart and cry easily… happy, sad, don’t feel well, proud... the tears just come.
17. I could talk pregnancy, labor, and new mom stories all day long with any woman who would listen!
18. I love Christmas music and listen to it most of the year.
19. I joined my first bible study this year.
20. I sometimes wish that I had become an OB nurse instead of a teacher. Don’t know if I could have handled all that comes with nursing though.
21. I love looking at pictures and remembering the past. I take a lot of them now.
22. I don't step on newly washed bathroom mats for several days so they stay nice and fluffy!
23. I am struggling to stay motivated to get back in shape. It's tough tough and I like food.
24. I have enjoyed living in Denver the most of any place we've been. Being 15 minutes from Jamie and Matt, Ab and the kids has been completely wonderful. The weather and scenery aren’t bad either!
25. I feel so blessed to be a stay at home mom right now. Sam is a delight and I am thankful I get to spend each day with him.
That’s 25! Don't make fun of my silly tendancies! Now it’s your turn!!!
2. I have naturally curly hair that I straighten almost every day.
3. I often rewrite lists, post its and other notes to make them look neater. I retyped many worksheets and such at school to make them work and look better too.
4. I love and can’t live without blue Chapstick brand chapstick.
5. I enjoy Diet Mt Dew and hot tamales (the candy) kept in the refrigerator so they are extra hard and chewy.
6. I don’t go to bed until the kitchen sink and counter around it are clean.
7. I love giving Sam baths and smelling his clean hair afterwards.
8. Fall is my favorite season for sure. I take time to notice the beautiful colors.
9. I taught 3rd graders for a long time and actually missed a few back to school teacher tasks the last two falls… getting nametags and desks ready, setting up my room, etc.
10. My 2nd toe is longer than my first which causes problems in shoes sometimes.
11. If all goes well, I'd love to have 4 kids… two boys and then two girls if I could be picky!!
12. I'd rather clean the houses of friends and family any day before cleaning my own!
13. I particularly dislike dusting and emptying the dishwasher.
14. I enjoy hosting and can’t wait to do it more often.
15. I am a big fan of the Today Show, E! News and The Doctors.
16. I am a tender heart and cry easily… happy, sad, don’t feel well, proud... the tears just come.
17. I could talk pregnancy, labor, and new mom stories all day long with any woman who would listen!
18. I love Christmas music and listen to it most of the year.
19. I joined my first bible study this year.
20. I sometimes wish that I had become an OB nurse instead of a teacher. Don’t know if I could have handled all that comes with nursing though.
21. I love looking at pictures and remembering the past. I take a lot of them now.
22. I don't step on newly washed bathroom mats for several days so they stay nice and fluffy!
23. I am struggling to stay motivated to get back in shape. It's tough tough and I like food.
24. I have enjoyed living in Denver the most of any place we've been. Being 15 minutes from Jamie and Matt, Ab and the kids has been completely wonderful. The weather and scenery aren’t bad either!
25. I feel so blessed to be a stay at home mom right now. Sam is a delight and I am thankful I get to spend each day with him.
That’s 25! Don't make fun of my silly tendancies! Now it’s your turn!!!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Busy Days Here in CO!
We have a lot going on right now with our family so I'll be back soon with updates and pictures of Sam. Hope this finds you all happy, healthy and well. PS- I'm working on my 25 random things about me post fellow blogger friends! Check back soon! JR
A peak two of the things keeping me on my toes...
Sam of course....
And this lovely suprise we found in the back of his closet... UGH!!!! Gross!!!!!!!!!!
A peak two of the things keeping me on my toes...
Sam of course....
And this lovely suprise we found in the back of his closet... UGH!!!! Gross!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Old Pictures With My Sister
I found a few funny pictures of Jamie and I from back in the day as I was sorting through a tub tonight. Pretty fun to remember! Bangs... Sunburns... Curls... Smiles... A few of my favorites with her!
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1. Sunburnt after a family trip to Cancun in high school! Sweet bangs ladies!
2. Summer trip to St. Louis minus Matt
3. Christmas Eve 2004 in Eldora- how alike are our eyes and smiles?! Sheesh. I love that one.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Happy to Report---
Sam had a great night of sleep after our ordeal yesterday! He was up a couple of times- once for medicine and once to drink a little milk- which I thought wasn't too bad for a boy with a fever and an earache (one word? doesn't look right?). Today he has played and eaten like normal and his fever has stayed down! All is well!!!! I'm playing nurse (well kind of) to Bryan today too who is feeling a bit under the weather. It's a dreary, cold day in Denver and we are all three snuggled at home, listening to Christmas music, making banana bread and ready for an afternoon nap! All is well. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
God Is Good.
Ready to hear a story about our day today? Here we go...
A little background information first... Sam had a fever last Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Motrin took it down each time and he would perk up, play, smile, etc. All was well. He has been a little gunky/congested the last few days but has been feeling well!
This morning Sam and I had our normal breakfast, playtime, trip to the gym and then he went down for his normal morning nap. He woke up a bit before 11:30 and seemed fine. A few minutes later I noticed he was shivering so I took his temperature- 100.something. He suddenly became way snuggly so I continued to check his temp while we snuggled and it continued to climb. At noon it was just over 102. I gave him some Motrin and got Bryan up to speed via text. Here's a picture of the poor guy just laying while I got his medicine ready... poor guy.
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Bryan agreed that I should call the doctor just to talk. I spoke with a nurse at our pediatrician's office asking if there was anything I should be doing or watching for since we had dealt with this a few days last week and then again today. She said keep up with the Motrin, pump him full of liquids and keep an eye on him until this time tomorrow and if needed, bring him in then so they could make sure it wasn't more going into the weekend. Pretty standard. Sounded fine to me. Sam perked up again about a half hour after the Motrin and we played, he crawled, I cleaned a little and got ready to have another long night with a kiddo that probably wasn't going to sleep well with a fever.
Since he was happy-chappy and the Motrin seemed to be working (he was busy-busy again and his temp was back down to 100), I decided to run to Target to get some more Motrin so we didn't run out over night. We shopped, he rode in the cart, I talked to a friend on the phone for a bit- all was well. When I got to the front to check out, I saw Abbie, Kate, Luke and Daniel walking towards us- fun surprise to see them at our Target down south!
Two seconds after hugging Ab I said "Hey look- Sam is just staring!" As soon as I said it, Abbie and I both realized something wasn't right. Sam's eyes were glassy and glazed over, he was very still, and his mouth was purple. We pulled him out of the cart and he didn't respond.
The next few minutes went quickly but I think Abbie took him while I called 911... we laid Sam down where they bag your items at the checkout... an off duty EMT came and held him flat... Abbie took the phone and finished with 911 while I was with Sam. We think he was out for about 2 minutes, which obviously felt a lot longer. Then, he all of the sudden snapped out of it and sat up and wanted me. He was fine. Just a sad kid with a fever wanting his mom.
As I sat there and cried and kissed Sam and Abbie gathered up Kate, Luke and Dan, a fellow shopper came up and said that she thought he may have had a seizure- something her daughter did when her fever got too high. Just then, the fire department came in and I told the story. As soon as I was finished, the paramedics came in. The man from the fire department relayed the story to the paramedic as about 6 other paramedics joined us- stretcher and all. Sheesh. They asked me to come out to the ambulance so they could check Sam out.
Once in the ambulance, Sam continued to be normal. His temp was 101.8 and all of his vitals looked fine. I asked right away if it could have been a seizure and they said that's what it looked like.
It seems that Sam had a febrile seizure. Apparently they are common in toddlers and can happen to kids under the age of 5. It’s the body’s way of handling a temperature spike that happens that quickly. Here’s Mayo Clinic’s definition-
A febrile seizure is a convulsion in young children caused by a sudden spike in body temperature, often from an infection. Watching your child experience a febrile seizure can be alarming. It may last only a few minutes, but it may seem like an eternity. Fortunately, febrile seizures aren't as dangerous as they may look. A seizure triggered by a sudden fever is usually harmless and typically doesn't indicate a long-term or ongoing problem. Often, a febrile seizure occurs before parents even realize that their child is ill.
I was given the choice to ride in the ambulance to the nearby hospital to have him checked out there to be on the safe side or they said I would be just fine to call my pediatrician and let them take it from here. I didn’t feel the hospital was necessary since Sam was acting fine so we said our thank yous and goodbyes to the rescue workers and the Target staff and headed to the car with Ab and the kids.
Once I got to the car, I was able to get in touch with Bryan. Not a fun phone call to make. He heard a lot of scary words come spewing out of my mouth pretty quickly. Thankfully he had been in a class today so he was just walking in the door at home. I picked him up and we headed downtown to the doctors office.
They got us right in, gave Sam the once-over, and reassured us everything was fine. Dr. Neil confirmed that it appeared to be a fever-induced seizure, something fairly common in kiddos. He said it’s just the brain’s way of getting a quickly rising fever under control. Sam continued to act fine- crawled around, ate some snacks, got a little Tylenol. He’s a tough boy. We found out that he has an ear infection in his left ear which seems to have caused the fever to return.
Our instructions are to keep overlapping the Motrin and Tylenol and to keep him hydrated and cool. He was smiling and clapping as we walked through Target again this evening when we picked up our medicine! The staff that had seen us three hours before was pretty floored! Sheesh. What excitement we gave them today!!!
We know that God was there with us today. He put me in Target instead of at home where I would have been by myself. He gave me level-headed Abbie who loves us so to help during the situation. He put a calm, off-duty paramedic in the checkout line. He helped Sam’s body do what it needed to do to take care of the situation. He got the paramedics there quickly to take care of us both. He allowed Bryan to be home early so he could go with me to the doctor. He kept Sam safe from any real harm and is allowing him to sleep peacefully in his crib as I am typing this. God will continue to be with him as his body works to fight off this infection over the next few days. God is good. God is good. God is good.
And we know that we have one sweet, tough boy.
A little background information first... Sam had a fever last Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Motrin took it down each time and he would perk up, play, smile, etc. All was well. He has been a little gunky/congested the last few days but has been feeling well!
This morning Sam and I had our normal breakfast, playtime, trip to the gym and then he went down for his normal morning nap. He woke up a bit before 11:30 and seemed fine. A few minutes later I noticed he was shivering so I took his temperature- 100.something. He suddenly became way snuggly so I continued to check his temp while we snuggled and it continued to climb. At noon it was just over 102. I gave him some Motrin and got Bryan up to speed via text. Here's a picture of the poor guy just laying while I got his medicine ready... poor guy.
Bryan agreed that I should call the doctor just to talk. I spoke with a nurse at our pediatrician's office asking if there was anything I should be doing or watching for since we had dealt with this a few days last week and then again today. She said keep up with the Motrin, pump him full of liquids and keep an eye on him until this time tomorrow and if needed, bring him in then so they could make sure it wasn't more going into the weekend. Pretty standard. Sounded fine to me. Sam perked up again about a half hour after the Motrin and we played, he crawled, I cleaned a little and got ready to have another long night with a kiddo that probably wasn't going to sleep well with a fever.
Since he was happy-chappy and the Motrin seemed to be working (he was busy-busy again and his temp was back down to 100), I decided to run to Target to get some more Motrin so we didn't run out over night. We shopped, he rode in the cart, I talked to a friend on the phone for a bit- all was well. When I got to the front to check out, I saw Abbie, Kate, Luke and Daniel walking towards us- fun surprise to see them at our Target down south!
Two seconds after hugging Ab I said "Hey look- Sam is just staring!" As soon as I said it, Abbie and I both realized something wasn't right. Sam's eyes were glassy and glazed over, he was very still, and his mouth was purple. We pulled him out of the cart and he didn't respond.
The next few minutes went quickly but I think Abbie took him while I called 911... we laid Sam down where they bag your items at the checkout... an off duty EMT came and held him flat... Abbie took the phone and finished with 911 while I was with Sam. We think he was out for about 2 minutes, which obviously felt a lot longer. Then, he all of the sudden snapped out of it and sat up and wanted me. He was fine. Just a sad kid with a fever wanting his mom.
As I sat there and cried and kissed Sam and Abbie gathered up Kate, Luke and Dan, a fellow shopper came up and said that she thought he may have had a seizure- something her daughter did when her fever got too high. Just then, the fire department came in and I told the story. As soon as I was finished, the paramedics came in. The man from the fire department relayed the story to the paramedic as about 6 other paramedics joined us- stretcher and all. Sheesh. They asked me to come out to the ambulance so they could check Sam out.
Once in the ambulance, Sam continued to be normal. His temp was 101.8 and all of his vitals looked fine. I asked right away if it could have been a seizure and they said that's what it looked like.
It seems that Sam had a febrile seizure. Apparently they are common in toddlers and can happen to kids under the age of 5. It’s the body’s way of handling a temperature spike that happens that quickly. Here’s Mayo Clinic’s definition-
A febrile seizure is a convulsion in young children caused by a sudden spike in body temperature, often from an infection. Watching your child experience a febrile seizure can be alarming. It may last only a few minutes, but it may seem like an eternity. Fortunately, febrile seizures aren't as dangerous as they may look. A seizure triggered by a sudden fever is usually harmless and typically doesn't indicate a long-term or ongoing problem. Often, a febrile seizure occurs before parents even realize that their child is ill.
I was given the choice to ride in the ambulance to the nearby hospital to have him checked out there to be on the safe side or they said I would be just fine to call my pediatrician and let them take it from here. I didn’t feel the hospital was necessary since Sam was acting fine so we said our thank yous and goodbyes to the rescue workers and the Target staff and headed to the car with Ab and the kids.
Once I got to the car, I was able to get in touch with Bryan. Not a fun phone call to make. He heard a lot of scary words come spewing out of my mouth pretty quickly. Thankfully he had been in a class today so he was just walking in the door at home. I picked him up and we headed downtown to the doctors office.
They got us right in, gave Sam the once-over, and reassured us everything was fine. Dr. Neil confirmed that it appeared to be a fever-induced seizure, something fairly common in kiddos. He said it’s just the brain’s way of getting a quickly rising fever under control. Sam continued to act fine- crawled around, ate some snacks, got a little Tylenol. He’s a tough boy. We found out that he has an ear infection in his left ear which seems to have caused the fever to return.
Our instructions are to keep overlapping the Motrin and Tylenol and to keep him hydrated and cool. He was smiling and clapping as we walked through Target again this evening when we picked up our medicine! The staff that had seen us three hours before was pretty floored! Sheesh. What excitement we gave them today!!!
We know that God was there with us today. He put me in Target instead of at home where I would have been by myself. He gave me level-headed Abbie who loves us so to help during the situation. He put a calm, off-duty paramedic in the checkout line. He helped Sam’s body do what it needed to do to take care of the situation. He got the paramedics there quickly to take care of us both. He allowed Bryan to be home early so he could go with me to the doctor. He kept Sam safe from any real harm and is allowing him to sleep peacefully in his crib as I am typing this. God will continue to be with him as his body works to fight off this infection over the next few days. God is good. God is good. God is good.
And we know that we have one sweet, tough boy.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
I Don't Mind
I don't mind changing diapers.
I don't mind the sweet noises you make.
I don't mind days when you just want to be in my arms.
I don't mind putting Shout on stains every day.
I don't mind baby drool.
I don't mind carrying a diaper bag instead of a purse.
I don't mind it when you cry.
I don't mind washing bottles each night before bed.
I don't mind picking up noisy toys.
I don't mind receiving sweet smiles from you.
I don't mind folding little boy laundry.
I don't mind having cupboards full of bottles, pacis, medicines and such.
I don't mind packing your bag with treats and toys before we leave the house.
I don't mind dreaming of the man you will grow to be someday.
I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night with you.
I don't mind wrestling and snuggling on the floor.
I don't mind picking your nose.
I don't mind you squirming in my arms and lap when I'm holding you.
I don't mind praying for you throughout the day.
I don't mind getting puked on.
I don't mind getting splashed while you play in the bathtub.
I don't mind sharing my worries about you with family and friends.
I don't mind reading to you.
I don't mind making your dad go down memory lane with me often.
I don't mind watching you sleep.
I don't mind being the one you come back to when you need comfort or care.
I don't mind putting baby lotion on you each day.
I don't mind sharing my meals with you.
I don't mind introducing you to new people and places.
I don't mind sitting quietly so you will nap just a few minutes longer.
I don't mind snuggling when you first wake up.
I don't mind being a mom.
In fact, I love all of those things.
I love you Sam.
I don't mind the sweet noises you make.
I don't mind days when you just want to be in my arms.
I don't mind putting Shout on stains every day.
I don't mind baby drool.
I don't mind carrying a diaper bag instead of a purse.
I don't mind it when you cry.
I don't mind washing bottles each night before bed.
I don't mind picking up noisy toys.
I don't mind receiving sweet smiles from you.
I don't mind folding little boy laundry.
I don't mind having cupboards full of bottles, pacis, medicines and such.
I don't mind packing your bag with treats and toys before we leave the house.
I don't mind dreaming of the man you will grow to be someday.
I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night with you.
I don't mind wrestling and snuggling on the floor.
I don't mind picking your nose.
I don't mind you squirming in my arms and lap when I'm holding you.
I don't mind praying for you throughout the day.
I don't mind getting puked on.
I don't mind getting splashed while you play in the bathtub.
I don't mind sharing my worries about you with family and friends.
I don't mind reading to you.
I don't mind making your dad go down memory lane with me often.
I don't mind watching you sleep.
I don't mind being the one you come back to when you need comfort or care.
I don't mind putting baby lotion on you each day.
I don't mind sharing my meals with you.
I don't mind introducing you to new people and places.
I don't mind sitting quietly so you will nap just a few minutes longer.
I don't mind snuggling when you first wake up.
I don't mind being a mom.
In fact, I love all of those things.
I love you Sam.
We Raced!
Yesterday Jamie and I participated in the Race for the Cure 5K in downtown Denver. It was a chilly morning to run but a wonderful event to be a part of again. Bryan and Sam were there bright and early bundled up to support us! What a special memory with my sister.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Misc. Pictures From My Cell Phone
Decked out in Cubs gear at a follow-up doctors appointment
Goofy orange hat to cover those sleeping eyes while snoozing in his stroller!
Happy in the car
It's fall in Denver!
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