Friday, May 30, 2014

My Boys

I have been terrible at keeping up on this blog lately!  Things have been so crazy and so much is happening and changing and I wish that had more time to document better this time in our life, but this is as good as its going to get right now.  Too much to do and not enough hours in the day.
But a few days back I realized it had been a while since I just followed the boys around for the day with my camera.  That is my favorite thing ever.  I love just capturing them being them!  So here are some photos for you to enjoy.
P.S. I am just aching to see my 3rd little baby's face playing right along side these two!!!

Graduation!!!!!!

The day before Graduation, Brad had to present and defend the research that he had been working on for the past few years.  It was kind of a big deal.  This is his research team.  Im told that they did an amazing job. (of course)

After all the students presented their research, they had a little class ceremony to honor everyone and hand out awards and show a class slide show.  
He sure was happy when the day was over.  What a relief :)
The next day was Graduation!!!!!  Isn't he so cute in his Doctoral robes and hat?!
He said that he didnt want to even walk and that it was just a waist of time, but I caught this picture of him smiling when the whole Thomas and Mack was cheering and screaming for all the students who had earned higher degrees and I know that at least in that moment, he was happy that he walked that day.  He cant deny it.  I have a picture to prove it ;)
Then after he spotted where I was sitting with my family, the rest of the time he spent making crazy eyes so that all my pictures of him look like this.
He and all his closest friends from his class
I love this one!  I dont know who took it, but its awesome!
This is him being hooded.  I guess that is what they do with Doctors -- hood them.  
It was a very proud moment for me..... and probably him.
Brad and Dr. P
Brad and Dr. Hickman
This is Brad's whole class
And all the boys
It was such a great day!!!  
I've never been more proud of anyone in my whole life!!!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Mothers Day

Mothers Day was quiet and simple
Food and family time and lots of relaxing

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Doctor Robison


The last month has been intense.  Brad has been studying like a mad-man.  Day and night, rain or shine, head buried in books and notes and practice tests.  I helped him study and quizzed him as much as I could, but seriously, a person can only do so much.  Well, most people.  Brad is not most people.  The man was a rock.

A couple days before it was time to take the board exam, you could see the stress and the pressure start to set in.  He just said, 'I've been going to school my entire life... for 23 years... and it all comes down to this one test.'  The night before he read over his notes until he couldnt read anymore.  His Dad gave him a beautiful blessing, we all told him that we were proud of him and that he was going to be great, and we turned in for a sleepless night.

He tossed and turned and finally just got up at about 3am and I found him out in his chair studying again.  I went back to bed.  He came and woke me up at 5:30 before he left and he was smiling.  I asked him how he was and he just said, 'I know everything!  Im ready!'  And with that I sent him on his way.

Then after about a week of waiting and worrying, last night when he got home, he came and knelt by my side of the bed where I was reading and he told me that he had just found out that he passed the board exam.  HE PASSED!!!!  Seeing the look on his face in that moment was one of the greatest things ever!!!  One of my top 5 favorite Brad moments!!!  And seeing him so relieved and sleep so soundly and so worry-free... it was just amazing!!!

I could go on and on and on.... but I'll save that for another post ;)  I am so proud of him!!!!  I love him and I think its amazing that after years of wishing and dreaming and working and sacrificing, Brad is officially a Doctor of Physical Therapy!!!!!!!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Big News!!!

Its official!!!  Brad has accepted a job in Lovelock, NV.  Yes, Im serious.  Yes, I believe that you have never heard of it.  We hadn't either.

A little while back Brad spoke with a contact that he had up in northern Nevada and he wanted Brad to come up for a job interview.  There was job opportunity in Winnemucca and one in Lovelock.  So we decided to give it a shot, all the while planning on Brad accepting one of the jobs he had been offered here in our home town.

So we went up for a couple days, Brad worked in the both clinics to get a feel for them, we got to know the owners and other therapists, spent some time looking at the area and after dinner with the owners and their wives at a very garlicy Basque restaurant, they handed Brad an envelope with a job offer in it that he just couldnt turn down.  We left northern Nevada confused as all get out.  We spent the next couple weeks just as confused.  We felt like we had to choose between the job we wanted and the place we wanted.  So much good on both sides.  So we prayed and talked and went to the temple and got a very clear answer.

So, not knowing whats ahead of us or what life will be like a couple months from now, Lovelock, here we come!!!
We are so excited and so nervous and so happy and so stressed, but over all, blessed!!  So, so blessed!!  When we were were so torn and not knowing what to do or how to make the decision, Brad's Dad kept reminding us to be grateful that we had a decision to make, because there are a lot of people who dont ever get that.  He was right.  We are very lucky.    
We went back up there to spend some more time there and find a place to live.  It was an interesting trip for many reasons, but it was good.  We feel ready for this change.  Brad just keeps being super cheesy and saying 'its just you and me against the world, Mandy....'  and that makes me laugh and reminds me that I can be happy anywhere as long as I've got Brad there with me.

Guess What??

We are having another beautiful baby!!!!!!!!  We are SO excited!!!!!  November just cant come soon enough. We had started feeling like it might be time to start thinking about #3 last Fall, but we weren't quite ready.  By November, Brad said he thought it was time and I still wasnt quite there.  Then in January, I started feeling better about a baby.... and Brad was thinking we should wait again.  Then finally some time after that, we were both on the same page.

I knew I was pregnant at about 2 weeks.  It was actually our first morning at Disneyland.  I got out of bed and walked passed a mirror and couldnt believe it was me.  My stomach had popped and was super tight and round.  It was soooo weird.  I told Brad that morning that I was sure I was pregnant.  After that, I was SO hungry!!!  All I could think about was food.  Disneyland food tasted amazing and I have no idea if it actually is that good, or if it was just crazy pregnancy taste buds.  I'll have to back one day and find out.

Finally after what seemed like forever... I was able to take a pregnancy test and confirm it.  It was basically old news by then for us, so we were ready to just tell people.  So I think we ended up announcing it just a few days later.  We had family in town and it seemed like a good time.  Thats always one of my favorite things!!  Telling everyone and seeing their reactions and excitement! 

So all was great with the world and we were overjoyed to be getting to welcome another perfect soul in to the world and especially since 2 of Brad's brother's and their wives were expecting at the same time and so were Nathan and Kaitlin.  Such perfect timing!!!

And then at about 7 weeks.... the morning sickness set in.  I had morning sickness with my first two pregnancies and it sucked pretty bad, but this time --  OH MY GOSH.  I really felt like I was dying EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!  It felt like the worst flu I've ever had that just lasted a month and a half.  moving hurt, breathing hurt, thinking hurt, eating hurt, not eating hurt even worse.  Nothing fixed it.  With the other pregnancies, I'd be bad for a bit, but then I'd find a few things I could stomach and stick to those and I would just kind of find my groove.  Not this time.  I'd get a craving for something and think 'finally!  If I just eat this one thing, I'll be able to not feel as sick.'  So I would send Brad to Lin's and 11:30 at night for frozen waffles and peach jelly rings and then I'd have one bite.... and I'd be sick.  I seriously couldnt find anything that worked.  I was starving and throwing up and weak and totally useless.  I cant count how many nights I would wake up at 2am to pee and get so sick from the walk to the bathroom that I had to just lay in bed in the dark eating crackers until I could fall asleep.

During this time, Brad did everything.  Im not even exaggerating.  He is amazing and it makes me want to cry just thinking about it.  He was so busy trying to study for the board exam, but was taking care of the kids and me and laundry and cleaning and cooking and shopping and everything else.  He got up with the kids every morning and let me sleep.  He'd make me whatever i wanted to eat, even though we would both know that it was going to make me sick.  He took Clark to school and picked him up.  He changed every diaper.  He did all the baths and medicine and stories and picking up toys.  And after every long day, he'd rub my feet and get me strawberry-kiwi shasta and feel sorry for me.  He has been incredible.  I love that man so much!!!!

So it was a tough month and a half.  I know there are so many people who have it worse than me, but I was pretty drained.  I started to feel kinda defeated and started wondering if we even made the right decision.  I started wondering if maybe we were having a baby too soon and wondering if I would even be able to handle another pregnancy and another baby.

Then on the last saturday in April, at 8:30 in the morning, I started getting the most horrible, sharp pains in my abdomen.  I thought it was weird, but probably normal, so I tried to ignore it.  But it didnt go away.  After an hour and hardly being able to stand up, I called my doctors office and talked to a nurse.  She told me that I needed to go into the emergency room to get an ultrasound and make sure the baby was okay.  I hung up and suddenly felt scared,  I thought that the nurse would tell me that it was fine and probably nothing and just to rest.

So Brad drove me in to Mesquite and they admitted me into the hospital and after waiting for a really long time, they did the ultrasound.  I was totally panicking and so worried that something was wrong.  After weeks of questioning what I wanted, it was so clear in that moment.  I just wanted to hear a heartbeat.  I just wanted my baby.  Even if it meant that I was going to be deathly ill for 9 months straight, I just wanted my baby.  It was such a relief to hear them say everything was okay and that the baby was healthy and fine.  

I was still in pain, so they gave me morphine and the next thing I knew they were testing for apendicitis and calling an ambulance and sending me to a hospital in vegas.  I was so doped up though, I couldnt hardly get a sentence out, let alone tell them that I was fine and I didnt want to go to Vegas.  So I finally started to come out of the medication fog when we were arriving at Mountain View.  They took me in and I immediately told them I was fine.  I was still hurting, but not as bad, and knew it was fine.  They kept saying, 'yes but you're nauseous and dizzy on top of the pain and that concerns us' and I was like, 'Im pregnant and you havent let me eat or drink anything all day.  Of course Im sick.'  Anyway, against medical advisement, I left.  I told them I'd come back if it got worse.  And it didnt.  The pain tapered off over about a week.  No idea what it was, but Im content thinking it was just to remind me of how much I want this baby.
After that I only had about a week and a half of morning sickness and it just didnt seem as bad.  I was still puking and tired, but I felt stronger, like I could handle it.

Then my 2nd trimester started.  Oh wonderful 2nd trimester!!!  I can eat again!!!!  I havent thrown up in a week and my stomach muscles are starting to feel less sore.  I can pee in the night and just go back to sleep.  I can wake up in the morning without feeling like I want to die.  I can go to the grocery store and I can watch tv without getting nauseous.  I can change diapers and play with the kids again.  And most importantly, I can give Brad a little bit of a break!!  Its magical!!!  Im so so so happy to be passed the first trimester.  
So after an interesting start, we are enjoying the excitement of this new little person thats already making its presence very, very known!!!  :)

Easter

The night before Easter Grandma had the kids dye some easter eggs.  This was their first time ever doing that, cause we are lame parents and have never attempted babies and eggs and dye.
They loved it 
The rest of the night was spent watching The 10 Commandments.  The Robison boys are obsessed.  
The Easter bunny came and apparently had baskets that were a tad too small 
But the boys were happy
Kalvin is obsessed with puzzles
And Clark got super hardcore with his new guitar
Love that face
After a wonderful afternoon at church and an amazing Easter dinner....
The Easter bunny texted Dad and said that there were some eggs outside for the kids
They were in heaven
It was a lovely Easter Sunday!!!!