Laurie on Channel 5

Hello everyone! This weekend Primary Children's Medical Center is having a fundraiser telethon on KSL Channel 5. We were asked to do an interview on Saturday night that will be shown sometime between 9:00-9:30 pm.

Kevin started his new job and is enduring a week and a half of orientation meetings. I'm staying with the girls at my aunt's house to help watch my cousins while she's in China. Of course, my cousins are a BIG help with Haili and Laurie - so it really feels like they're taking care of me.

Our house is coming along. They told us to plan on closing around July 8th... I'm nervous about packing... I HATE moving. I really don't get motivated to pack until we're insanely close to the actual moving date. Perhaps seeing the house getting finished will give me that extra push to start packing...

Our House!

Who ever heard of a builder actually being on time? And who has ever heard of a builder actually running a month AHEAD of schedule???

That's what's happening with us! We met with our builder and he told us we are roughly one month from finishing the house! Our scheduled closing date wasn't until July 31st... but they are running ahead of schedule. Amazing.

This picture is about 2 weeks old. The house is completely framed up. The plumbers came today and the electrician comes next week. Sheet rock will go up at the end of next week and Kevin will start taping and texturing after that.

Little Laurie waiting patiently for us as we check out the house. What a trooper!

This retention pond is behind our property. Haili had fun throwing rocks in it. We had to drag her away kicking and screaming when it was time to go!

Kevin took me on my very first long bike ride for my birthday! We did a 24-mile loop. It was so much fun! I never thought I'd say this, but biking is actually quite addicting!

Playing for Change

Check out this video!

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

Graduation, Helmet, Etc.

Am I really graduating?

Kevin and my brother, Everett

At Kevin's graduation I ran into a former cello student of mine! I started teaching Kristina cello when she was in 4th grade until last year. She graduated with her associate's degree! I'm getting old.

This is a picture taken the night after all the graduation festivities. I had to take a picture, as this is what Haili normally looks like when she finally falls asleep most nights. Before she can fall asleep, she has to have her shoes on, stuffed animals on every side, and blankets and dress-ups all around. Even if her room and bed is completely clean when we put her in bed, by morning, everything is back in utter chaos. We love you, Haili!

This is Laurie with her new helmet. The guy who made it has never had to do one quite like this before - as Laurie's head shape is quite unique. The helmet is actually in 2 pieces. This was done so that we can actually get it on Laurie's head! The normal way consists of just one piece, I suppose. Laurie doesn't like it much, but she'll have to get used to it - as she'll be wearing it for the next several months!

Counting Our Blessings

Yesterday we had a "Last Day of School" celebration for Kevin. He took his last final yesterday afternoon! His graduation is tomorrow and I am so proud of my hubby. He's worked harder than hard to earn his degree. He did not do well in school as a boy and he even had a high school math teacher who wrote him off as a "lost cause". Kevin has taken over 13 math courses in his college career - including, but not limited to: calculus 1 &2, linear algebra and differential equations, and multivariable calculus! He also found out that his senior electrical engineering project was a finalist in the school's design competition!

Kevin and I have also been on a wellness journey this past semester. We decided to get with it and start exercising a whole lot more and eating healthy choices. Kevin has reached his weight loss goal this semester... He has lost exactly 40 lbs.! I have lost 28 lbs. We feel great and we are both training to do a sprint triathlon this summer. Here are some before and after photos...

Christmas 2008

April 30, 2009

Halloween 2008

April 30, 2009

One of my "bed rest buddies" that I met while on bed rest after my water broke is in need of prayers this weekend. One of her twin baby girls is a heart baby and has an important echocardiogram coming up next week. The results will determine if she is well enough to be a candidate for a life-saving surgery she needs. Please visit her blog at: http://splatninjamom.blogspot.com/.

Kevin had a horrible morning. This afternoon from 1-4 pm, all the senior electrical engineering students are presenting their senior projects in front of judges, professors, and peers. 2 days ago, Kevin had been testing his solar electrolysis tracking system, when the analog chip (a really important part that makes the whole motor work) fried. He ordered another chip and it came yesterday. When Kevin and my brother (who is Kevin's partner in the project) got ready to put everything together to take up to the university, they realized that Texas Instruments had sent the WRONG CHIP!

This is a pictures of the circuit board they designed... the chip is part of this somehow...



We spent all morning frantically calling every engineering, automation and controls systems, robotics, and electronics company within a 2 hour radius and NO ONE had this specific chip they needed for their project. Kevin has been devastated. One of their professors had said that their project was one of the best he'd seen.

They still went to the presentation. Luckily, they do have video footage of their project working. They are just bummed that they will not be able to show their project after the COUNTLESS hours of working and planning. I'm taking Haili to go see all the senior projects in just a couple of minutes. She's excited to see Daddy's school!

We love you, Kevin!

Whew

Yesterday was quite the day... Laurie and I spent about 5 hours at the hospital. However, we are pleased to report only good news! The extra-axial fluid in Laurie's head is benign! Basically it's just extra fluid outside the brain that isn't causing any problems or damage. Dr. Walker (the neurosurgeon) said that it is common in preemies and it should resolve itself by the time she's 18 months to 2 years old. The extra fluid also causes a 2-month developmental delay. We don't mind that at all. Dr. Walker said that by the time she's 2 she should have a normal sized forehead and should be caught up developmentally from a neurology standpoint.

Because all is well with her brain, we are starting the process to get her a helmet to help her plagiocephaly. She currently has a prominent flat spot on the back of her head. She'll wear a helmet for a few months that will help shape her head into a normal head shape.

Driving home yesterday was like walking into a winter wonderland! It was POURING rain for the first hour drive and then once I entered the canyon, it was a blizzard! Spring, hurry up - PLEASE!