Rawson Family Blog

Peyton the INCREDIBLE and his cute little sidekick

2011-03-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Obviously I have been TERRIBLE at updating this blog. But I swear I'm turning over a new leaf and will be updating at least once a week...or at the VERY least once every two weeks. I've been inspired by my friend Sabrina who is a fantastic family blogger to blog every week about my little life and kids and then get it all printed into a lovely little journal/scrapbook thing at the end of the year. She is really great at it and it is such a perfect way to keep a family journal and "scrapbook" without having to actually scrapbook. I want to be better so here is my first attempt.

Ok. So since its been since October since I've posted, I will quickly run through our latest news:
...ummm...we have none. Nothing much has happened since then! Daniel still has a job (he actually got a raise recently and I'm very proud of him), Peyton is still keeping me running, Sawyer is still growing and growing and growing, and I am still trying to juggle being a mom, wife, interior decorator, photographer, blogger, etc...which never seems to be in balance. Other than all that, there is really no big news to announce and no major events worth mentioning. :)

Now back to the present. Sawyer is now just a few days shy of 8 months old which just seems ridiculous to me. It is mean how 9 months of pregnancy seems like a lifetime but the first 9 months of your baby's life seems like a minute. Its just not fair. I think it feels like its going by so quickly because with Peyton everything was so slow and long and drawn out. In a weird way I sort of wish Sawyer was born smaller so his smallness would last longer. But despite my wishing, time speeds along and he grows bigger everyday. I know I'm probably a tad bit biased but he is the most adorable baby I've ever seen. He looks nothing like Peyton (not to say that Peyton isn't adorable as well) and seems to be favoring Daniel's side. He has long black eyelashes, blue eyes, lots of light brown hair, little kissable lips, and the cutest scrunchy-nosed smile. He has a little monkey nose and sort of resembles a baby gorilla. He is getting nice and plump the older he gets and has the chunkiest little thighs that make his whole body look squatty. Sawyer is into EVERYTHING and army crawls like a pro. He has also learned how to pull himself up to stand and scales the furniture. This is a completely different experience for us than what we went through with Peyton and I will soon be baby-proofing to avoid the accidents that will inevitably be heading Sawyer's way.

Peyton just ADORES Sawyer and asks me everyday if Sawyer can go play in his room with him. Sawyer in turn thinks Peyton is the coolest kid in town and laughs hysterically at nearly everything he does. They are best friends already and I'm really hoping it will last!

Anyway, we LOVE Sawyer and don't know how we ever lived without him.

So lately I've been feeling guilty about not spending enough playtime with Peyton. I've been really busy with my blog, decorating houses for people, keeping up with my own house, and taking pictures for people and I've noticed myself telling Peyton to "hang on" and "wait for me to be done working" a lot when he wants to play. I always have the intention of eventually getting everything done so I can play, but of course there is always way more to do and not enough time to do it so the playing just keeps getting delayed and delayed. So after a lot of mom-guilting and re-prioritizing I committed to myself that I would make sure to take time everyday, no matter what else needs to be done, to stop and play with Peyton. I had made Peyton a quickie super hero mask and cape out of felt and an old t-shirt that he would wear around the house but he complained that it was "too itchy" and that he needed a new one. He had been making this request for a few months and so finally I took the time to sit down and sew something non-itchy and more substantial that would hold up to his super-heroics. He LOVES his new reversible hero mask and monogrammed cape and we spent a good 2 hours or so playing hero and monster while listening to action movie scores on Pandora. I of course was the monster and Peyton had a blast "killing me" in every imaginable way he could think of. The best part about our superhero playtime was that Peyton would totally choreograph his moves to the sounds of the music. It completely cracked me up. If the music was dark and sinister sounding he would hunker down and start peeking around corners listening for the "monster". And then when the music would resolve and become triumphant he would "kill" me and stand on top of me with his fist in the air yelling "I am the HERO! Yay for Peyton!!". It was so fun to play and a nice little bonus that I got a good little workout in for the day as well. I realized during our playtime how truly precious this time with him is and how their will be a day when he won't want to "kill" me, but maybe really KILL me for enforcing house rules or embarrassing him in front of his friends. I decided that I need to keep this in mind next time I'm about to tell him, "When I'm done with *fill in the blank* I'll play." I mean, who wouldn't want to be this superhero's monster anyway? :)

Idaho Fun FUN FUUUUNNN!

2010-10-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm so homesick right now! We just spent nearly the entire month of September in Idaho visiting my family and I'm still trying to adjust to be back in Texas without them again. It is such a bittersweet thing to come back after a trip to see family. I really like Texas, but I realized this trip how much I miss Idaho! The weather was perfect fall weather (unlike the humid, 90 degree weather we're dealing with here in Texas) and I never really noticed how charming and even beautiful my little hometown is, in its own rustic way. I have never been a "home body" and don't really get homesick very often, but now that I have kiddos, I really feel the distance and hate that my little boys don't get to see their Cici and Poppy and Aunts, Uncles, and cousins as much as we'd all like. I'm trying to persuade Daniel to move us up there in a few years. But of course I know deep down that it all depends on work and kids and such and that "home" is where you make it.

Anyway, the boys and I flew up a week before Daniel to have more time and then Daniel met us up there and we all stayed for 2 more weeks. It was SO nice! It was the first time anyone but my mom had met Sawyer and of course they all just fell in love with him and his happy disposition. Peyton had a blast riding around on all of my dad's toys (the motorcycle, the riding lawnmower, bikes, etc.) and became best buds with his cousin Carter who is 18 months old and one of the cutest, happiest, little kids on the planet. Daniel and I just enjoyed not having much extra responsibility and spent a lot of time out on the porch reading books, talking, or watching Peyton play. Daniel got to go on a ride-along with my brother-in-law Matt who is a cop and he had a blast with him busting all the drunks and pot-heads in the county for a night. We also took advantage of my parent's awesome "park" they just put in which is basically a large landscaped grass area where the horse arena used to be with a fire pit and a big wall at one end that we projected movies on to when it got dark. It was FABULOUS! Like camping, which we love, but much less hassle and you get to sleep in a comfy bed. I felt so spoiled there with all the help with the boys and with my moms AMAZING cooking and fresh-from-the-garden produce. Daniel and I got to sleep in almost every morning while Peyton got up and made breakfast with Cici (my mom). I can tell Peyton feels stiffled here back home because he got used to being able to go in and out of the house and play all around the land, chasing cats and exploring, like he was a "big boy". I decided I HATE neighborhoods and the HOA and have been spoiled by my country upbringing that now that is all I want! :) Peyton too. Honestly, Daniel loves Idaho too and I think would be much more inclined to live there if job opportunities were better for him.

We also went with my sis to an awesome pumpkin patch where the kids had a blast and I had fun taking about a billion pics of them having a blast! This place was so great with a corn maze, a hay maze, a REAL pumpkin patch, pig races, pony rides, a corn box... I wished I was a kid again so I could legitimately show my true excitement about it. ;)

Anyway, we're back now of course and life is moving on. I sincerely hope that it won't be a full year again until I can go back. We're excited to be going to San Antonio this weekend to trick-or-treat with our Rawson cousins and spend time with Courtney and Jared. Since returning from Idaho I've realized that the only way to counter home-sickness is to constantly be planning new fun things to look forward to. So thats what I'm trying to do! :) Now for some pics!

Poppy and Peyton on the riding mower.

Peyton and Carter at the pumpkin patch.

Well I'll have to post more pics later, I got hungry babies to feed and they're not going to let me finish this right now!

Welcome Sawyer!!!

2010-08-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

Okay. So I have a perfectly good explanation for being absent from the blog-o-sphere for so long. I was pregnant with baby boy #2. I have just gone through a very LONG, STRESSFUL, and somewhat PAINFUL high-risk pregnancy. We got preggo in November and I was immediately put on all kinds of meds and was closely monitored. I had a miscarriage scare around 9 weeks, went to the ER twice for possible pre-term labor at 21 weeks and 27 weeks, had a cerclage put in for my “incompetent cervix”, had 20 weeks of progesterone injections, and had numerous tests run and ultrasounds done, and was put on bed-rest. I had my cerclage removed early because I was having consistent contractions that weren't slowing down and my doc and I were worried that if my body was trying to dilate the sutures could tear my cervix (bad news ouch ouch ouch). So at 35 weeks I had the cerclage removed and instantly dilated to nearly 2 centimeters. My doc was certain I'd go into labor within the next 48 hours. 48 hours later I was still preggo and was showing no signs of going into labor (besides the constant contractions but those I'd been having since 27 weeks so it was no bigee). A week later I went in for a check up and was found to be dilated to 3 centimeters, 90% effaced, with the baby at a station 1 (which is super low and very uncomfortable). Once again the doc was certain I'd go into labor within those next couple of days especially since I was having bouts of regular contractions that were 3 minutes apart. Well, needless to say to everyones surprise I did NOT go into labor for 4 MORE EXCRUCIATING WEEKS and finally ended up having to be induced when I went in after a month of virtually no sleep due to constant contractions and a fear that the baby wasbeginning to have decreased movement. At about 39 weeks I went in and they hooked me up to the fetal monitor (again) and were a little concerned about how the baby was handling my contractions. Then the doc checked me and told me I was dilated to 5 centimeters, fully effaced, and the baby was "about 3 inches from making his debut", yet I was NOT in real labor. The doc was very surprised by all this and decided that it be best to go ahead and get induced and get this little guy here so I could relax and get some sleep! Apparently, the scar tissue left behind from the cerclage was making it very difficult for me to fully dilate and go into real labor. Go figure. Anyway, Daniel and I went over to the hospital and the doc came over about a half an hour later, hooked me up to the I.V. (it of course took 2 tries to get the vein, that ALWAYS happens to me!), gave me a "spit" of pitocin, and put me on the fetal monitor and broke my water. I was surprised by how little fluid was released but the doc said that it was because the baby's head was so low for so long that it was like a little cork (or very BIG cork). About 30 seconds later I was in real labor and they were coming fast and hard. My mom and mother-in-law got there about a half an hour after the doc had left and I was already dilated to a 7. The contractions were coming on top of each other and the nurse was concerned I was going too fast so she shut off the pitocin to slow things down...it didn't really work. At about 8 and a half centimeters I got stuck (right in the middle of transition YIPEE) and that dang scar tissue was not wanting to give in. Also the baby was turned and so I was having to do some mild acrobatics to get him to turn the right way before I could push. I was getting really nervous because I was starting to feel like my body wanted to push but I couldn't until that scar tissue let up because it would be VERY BAD to tear my cervix. I REALLY didn't want to have to have another c-section, especially since I'd been working so hard to avoid one. After a couple of hours of that I finally got the okay to push from the nurse. I don't think she realized how much I wanted to be done though because she left the room for a minute leaving Daniel, my mom, and Daniel's mom there with me alone. I didn't have any meds (no epidural, not even an asprin!) so I was definitely using my whole body to get this baby out! I was pushing vertically up on my knees on the bed with one arm around my mom and the other around Daniel. In between contractions I'd drop down to all fours to rest. Well you better believe I pushed that baby halfway out before the nurse could get back in the room! Nearly scared Daniel half to death! Nena (Daniel's mom) had to run out into the hall and get a nurse and they barely made it in in time to catch little Sawyer before he hit the bed! Of course no one had time to wash their hands and so the first thing the doc said when he ran into the room (about 30 seconds too late) was "Did anyone wash!?"! My mom was actually the first one to touch him and she just kind of held up her hands with this shocked look on her face like "Are you KIDDING?". It was pretty crazy and totally AMAZING although I do bet that many of those nurses who ran in to help were shocked to see a lady giving birth like that up on the bed on all fours! It was a VERY intense labor and delivery but actually pretty fast (if you don't count the entire month before that I was technically "in labor") only about 4 and a half hours after the doc broke my water. Sawyer Christian Rawson was born on Thursday July 22nd at 4:58 p.m. He weighed 7 and a half pounds and was 19 and a half inches long. He looks NOTHING like Peyton and Daniel is glad to see some of himself in this one! We are completely relieved and thrilled that he is here and healthy and I am COMPLETELY relieved and thrilled that I am no longer pregnant!! How ironic that I'd go from having an emergency c-section to having to be induced at 39 weeks and having a V.B.A.C. at that! We are so blessed and grateful for such great doctors and nurses and for so many good friends and family who have been praying for our success! Thanks to everyone!

Happy Mother's Day Mom

2010-05-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

Besides the fact that today is Mother's Day, there are several reasons why I celebrate my mother today. (No, I haven't forgotten about celebrating the mother of my children - my wife-but I thought I could dedicate this one for my mom... )

-Dedication - It takes a committed woman to raise 4 boys....especially us "rowdy Rawson" kids. Why she just didn't lock us all up in a room everyday and shove crackers under the door for food I'll never know! How cool it was to always know that when I came home from school, she would be there. Just about every t-ball, baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling match - she was there...and she wasn't embarrassed to claim me even when I was the kid way out in left field with his glove on his head... with both hands in his shirt...singing... in the middle of a game. Mom, it must have been real boring at times, but I am glad you were there, especially for the exciting times.

- Caring - Anyone who knows my mother well knows that she loves to talk on the phone--not to just be able to talk but to genuinely know how someone is doing. This trait is one that I hope to emulate in my life. Mom, I know I make fun about how often you call, and even when you ask me how my day was and I reply "Same as yesterday when you called...", I really do appreciate it and am very glad you care.

- Happy - the memories of my mom from my childhood portray a happy woman. One time, when I was about 4, I decided to back the van out the driveway with my 2 yr old brother in the back seat (good times!). I think it would be hard to raise a child like that and not constantly be a nervous wreck! I think most would consider it quite the accomplishment that the struggles and stresses of raising 4 boys were not noticed by or passed down to us. Thank you for not putting me up for adoption. It is comforting to know that even though you put off work, education, and hobbies, you found pride and happiness in caring and raising your kids. I will always be grateful.

-A great friend - True story- in middle school - I was bullied a few times (I know, hard to believe that as likable, popular, yet intimidating as I was that I would be bullied). I kid you not-- My mom once substituted my 6th grade class, came up to one of my bullies, and said (QUOTE) "You mess with my son, you mess with me!" HAHA! Yeah, I was embarrassed, and maybe even more scared of that bully after that, but it's great to have a mom that sticks up for you and is always on your side. Just for the record, my mom was the "cool substitute teacher " whose son was the not-s0-cool kid.

Today, I am proud to celebrate my amazing mother. Thank you for all your love, dedication, friendship, and care. Happy Mother's Day!

Love Always,

Daniel

Peyton, our new home....and such

2009-07-26T08:02:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would update on the house we are building and some pictures of Petyon.

This picture was taken about 3 weeks ago.

Note the golfcourse across the street....not that I am a big golfer or anything.

And here's what it looked like last week....

This is the front entrance. There will be 3 bedrooms directly to the right...

Here's a view of the family room from the back of the house. Peyton and I are walking into the formal dining.

Here are some pics of Peyton. He loves to sing into things that look like a microphone when I play guitar. We think it all started from when we were watching American Idol. Here's a pic of him singing into my guitar stand.

Jammin together.

More singing into his "microphone".

Craigslist Addiction...

2009-07-26T07:33:00.002-07:00

My wife is addicted to Craigslist.

Right now our house has 3 extra chairs, one giant lamp, and a whole stack of accessory items like pillows, curtain rods, etc. Most of it was bought from the largest cyber-garadge sale on the planet, www.Craigslist. com. For now, there is a good explanation for it all. She has been hired to decorate someone's house in downtown Houston, which Catherine got by posted an ad on ....what? You guessed it......Craigslist. Then yesterday she met a wealthy lady who may want her to decorate her home also. How did she meet this lady you ask? She met her by going to her home to pick up some furniture that had been posted on.......what? CRAIGSLIST! Dont't get me wrong, I am very proud of her ability to save her clients lots of money by finding great deals on Craigslist, but I am growing concern for both her mental and physical health. Sometimes while on her way to pick up these Craislist items from strangers' houses, she calls me at work to tell me the exact address of where she is going "just in case you don't hear back from me in awhile." And if more than two hours pass without getting on Craiglist to check all the posts she becomes very anxious, since with every hour that passes 10 or so new "steal deals" could have been posted! Is there a cure??

Craigslist Addiction...

2009-07-26T07:33:00.001-07:00

Its Been a WHILE

2009-06-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

So, if anyone still cares to check this thing...you're in for a treat!!! I'm actually blogging!! I boycotted the notion for quite some time just to spite Daniel (who I believe to be the better blogger), but I have finally caved. So, whats new with us you ask? LOTS actually! So here goes:
-Daniel HATED his job at Goodman at first, but now only somewhat hates it after overcoming the shock of what a "financial analyst" actually does. He is starting to get in the groove and is finally feeling like he might not be so expendable...which is good news. He works a ton (but not compared to most of the other "corporate slaves" around him) leaving for work around 7 am and returning home around 6:30 pm. He spends the majority of his work time deciphering confusing and wrongly inputed data and creating reports on such things as warranties and assembly costs. Not really his cup-of-tea but he is grateful to have a good job none the less and hopes to move on to something more suited to his strengths sometime in the "near-ish" future.
-Peyton just turned 2 years old which is so crazy! He got a battery operated 4-wheeler from the gradparents and lots of cars and trucks which are his latest obsession. He is doing FABULOUS, growing stong although he is still a little small for his age (about 18 month clothing size), but he is smart and stable and is picking up on everything! He is talking quite a bit and likes to steal my phone when I'm not looking to leave unintelligable messages on peoples voicemails. His favorite person in the world is DADDA with Bamba (grandpa) coming in at a close 2nd. He loves swimming and riding on the boat with our friends. He is such a miracle and I can't believe that he is already 2 years old! I wish everyday that he'd stop getting older and stay my little munchkin forever.
-The biggest news with us though is that after a couple months of searching for a home, we have decided to actually BUILD a house! I of course am elated beyond belief and can't wait for it to be finished in September. After doing the math and considering all the options, it just made more sense to build instead of buy. The house is DIVINE and is in a beautiful golfcourse neighborhood in Cypress (North West Houston area). It is one story, 2250 sqft, 4 bedroom, formal dining, island kitchen, etc. Undoubtedly the best one story floorplan I've seen. We're so excited and nervous and I can't wait to get in and decorate!
-Nothing else is really new with me. I have a new nephew named Carter that was born yesterday to my sister Christen and her hubby Matt. He came a month early taking everyone by suprise when the doctor felt his little toes down in the birth canal at just a regular check up. She delivered him c-section because he was breech (whats with us Carter girls and our breech babies?) and everything went smooth and dandy. He is a good size for being early, coming in at 6lbs 8oz and 19 inches long. Hes sooooo sweet and makes me baby hungry for another one of our own. Anyway, other than that, I am hard at work trying to get more business to my new etsy site www.Skidamarink.etsy.com which I'm selling handmade accessories and clothing for women and kiddos. I also am trying to get back into home decorating and possibly some home staging while the housing market is still in need. Other than that, I hang out with Peyton and dream about having my own house soon.
Well, thats about it! Sorry for taking so long to update this thing! Maybe I'll get Daniel to update it next. :)

Thank goodness for Goodman!

2009-04-07T08:06:00.001-07:00

Its' official, I finally got a job offer for Goodman Manufacturing. The company had a company-wide hiring freeze, but luckily I was able to jump through enough hoops to get hired as a financial/business analyst. We will be heading down to Houston this Friday right after graduation. We also found a place to live not too far from work in the Katy area.

For those of you who have never heard of Goodman, they are the number 2 manufacturer of residential and light commercial heating and air conditioning products worldwide. They are now the number 1 brand in the residential sector.

Graduating is definitely a sweet feeling. I am happy that this morning would be one of the last times I would scrape ice of my windshield in April. Although I will most likely continue my education in a few years, its nice to be done with my undergrad.

Quick update on Peyton.... he has officialy got in touch with his southern roots. The other day I was on campus in the library watching him while Catherine was doing some work on my laptop. Peyton went to reach for his toy that was sitting on the table and became frustrated that he couldn't reach it. So out of frustration, he banged his head against the table and chipped his front tooth. He now has quite a humurous smile. Catherine was of course sick over it, and was hoping there could be away to repair it. My uncle makes teeth for a living, and he said its not likely. I really don't think its that bad. He'll just be the funny, toothless kid with red hair and glasses....what wrong with that?

What we've been up too lately....

2009-03-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

hey there everybody! sorry we haven't posted in a while! there really isn't a whole lot of excitement going on around here lately. Daniel is busy busy with school and work and is typically gone from 7 am to 7 pm on a daily basis. He is exhausted and frustrated and cannot wait to graduate next month on the 10th of April. The only problem is he can't seem to get a job secured (like many graduates in this economy). The top choice job that he thought was a sure thing from his internship just won't return his calls to let him know if its a go. There was a job fair on campus and all the companies he was interested in told him they had "hiring freezes" going on and weren't looking to hire this time around. Daniel asked them why the heck they were at the job fair then and they all said that they pretty much just want to maintain a good relationship with the college. So here we are, graduating in less than a month with no job and no plan. UUUrrrggghhh. It is definitely frustrating and discouraging. We're trying to stay positive though and pray that a good opportunity presents itself soon. If not, I think the plan is to head to Houston anyway and just job hunt when we get there since that seems like the best place to find a job thats near one of our families. We would be more flexible about living near family if it weren't for the fact that we would like to have more children sometime in the somewhat near future and are going to need a lot of help while I'm inevitably on beadrest for who knows how long. So, that fact limits our location to either Houston area or Boise area.

Other than Daniel's school and work and job hunting and pending graduation, Peyton and I have been keeping busy locked in our tiny apartment while the weather freezes everything outside doing "Baby Phonics" exercises and pulling every dish and utensil out of the cupboards at least three times daily. While Peyton is sleeping I've been working on stuff for the flea markets I'm doing and for my etsy site. Daniel comes home to dishes on the floor, feathers on the counter, and little clay roses baking in the oven. Good thing hes a patient guy. I will also start finishing up some decorating jobs I started last year in Idaho Falls in exchange for reupholstery lessons and sewing lessons which I'm very excited about.

If anyone wants to check it out, I have a blog for my WINGS shop: www.giveyouwings.blogspot.com

Thats all for now! We love you all!

I’m in …looooove with a giirrrrrrrll (I’m … in … love…with…)

2009-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

Here’s a few reason why I’m in love with my gorgeous Catherine on this Valentine’s Day: (Disclaimer: The following content may be perceived as mooshy, non-masculine, and may cause high levels of nausea or vomiting)

· Her Dimples: When she smiles at me, the left dimple is deeper than her right. I could probably measure how much she loves me on a given day by the depth of that dimple.

· I love her singing voice: During my first semester of college before we started dating, Catherine sang a song she wrote on the guitar during Christmas break. It was a love song and I deep down wished it was about me. (It was probably about one of the other 4 guys she was juggling during that time). It was the first time I had heard her sing. I fell in love with her soft, angelic voice immediately and it played in my head over and over again. I had to be with her.

· When I was about 8 years old, Catherine ran up and kissed me on the cheek. Although it was a childish joke, I had a crush ever since. She doesn’t remember this actually….but I definitely still do.

· Her hands: I don’t know if it’s because of all the years playing impressive music on the piano, or painting amazing pieces of art, her hands are perfect. Sometimes I just watch her hands as she writes or plays piano. It’s kind of a weird fetish …I know…but her hands are truly a God given gift and it shows.

· No one has as good of a heart as Catherine. She genuinely loves others. She also has the ability to perfectly empathize with others. When people she knows experience sadness in their lives, she also physically experiences their pain. I’m way too lucky to be at the center of it.

· Her fun personality: When I went to her prom my junior year, she took me to a Rec center and we spent most of the day before the dance playing one-on-one basketball. How cool is that! (I won’t be including anything about who won or lost...it’s not important) Quick fact: I might have…kind of broke her nose while playing basketball later when we were engaged……

I am proud of my wife—She has been through so much these past few years and she done an incredible job handling it. I admire her heart and strength. I hope that today you’ll know that I love you, I’m proud of you, you’re smoking hot… and I can’t help but love you always….

Happy V-Day Sweetheart!

What I've been up to...

2009-01-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

So being a stay at home mom can be...difficult...to say the least, but it definately has its perks too! For example, I had no idea that I loved making things out of feathers and fabric so much! If I was working all the time outside the home I would've never discovered this talent and obsession! Anyway, so I've been creating feathery "doodads" (as my dad calls them) and cute toddler/baby clothes! So check it out and tell all your friends! You can go to www.CatsCranny.etsy.com to see everything and place an order!

Finally....a blog update.

2009-01-03T21:30:00.001-08:00

Happy New Years to ALL!

I think we win the 2008 Worst Blog Updaters Award. I say, "Hey Cath, you should update our blog." She says, "what we have a blog???" I sadly reply, " I dont even know you anymore!"

I think the real reason was that Catherine was too immersed in chasing Peyton around the house. During his naps, she was either redecorating my parents house in order to pay for our food and shelter or fully immersed in her crafty projects consisting of feathery hair pins, bracelts, and necklaces that are coming to stores near you.

We'll be sure to put "update blog regularly" on our list of resolutions for this year...

So here's the update. I finished my internship with Goodman Manufacturing and we're back up to Rexburg for my LAST SEMESTER! It so nice to know that the end is near. The plan is to surivive the bone chilling winter in Rexburg, graduate in April with a degree in Business Finance, and then head back down to warm Texas. I have two unofficial job.....offers....opportunities...not sure what to call them at this point ....with Goodman. I interviewed and I have some promising prospects after I gradute. I am excited about it; although, I will be more excited when somethingis in writing. Law school is still in the picture but I am waiting to apply until I see how much Goodman would pay for something like a JD/MBA. We have spending the holidays here in Middleton, ID before we head out to Rexburg. It has been great to eat lots of good food, sleep, and relax.

Peyton is walking...a lot. He has made a lot of progress these past few months. Yes, his hair is still red. He's a cute little guy and looks nothing like me. We still have occupational therapists and speech pathologists who work with him regularly. He makes little "woof woof" sounds when we ask him what a doggie says but he still doesn't understand other easy words and phrases like "No"or "Shhh". I guess he's just ....mischieviously cute. I must say though, he goes to bed early, sleeps through the night, and wakes up around 8ish. Could we ask for more?

Here's some pics.

PuMpKiN PaTcH fUn

2008-10-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So Jared and Courtney and there kids were here this weekend and I really wanted to take them all to a pumpkin patch. So Courtney found a few and we picked one out and went. It was so much fun! I think I probably had more fun than anyone though because I loved taking pics of the kiddos with the pumpkins. I am getting addicted to photography lately and I love getting good pics and editing them in cute ways. It started with scrapbooking which I got into when Peyton was in the NICU. Now its progressed. I love it and I really wish I could get a nice camera and take some classes. Anyway, I did my best. It was a really cute family run place out in the country part of Houston. Normally the place is an exotic pet farm but during the holidays they add on the pumpkin patch and stuff. It was adorable! They had normal farm animals, goats, horses, etc. and then some not so normal animals like llamas, a pot belly pig, a little tiny deer (i'm not kidding it was tiny like 10 inches and SO CUTE), and some lemur type thing, and (my favorite) a little JOEY (thats a baby kangaroo). The joey just hopped around the patch and would come right up to you and let you feed it and pet it. The kids LOVED it! So did I! I REALLY want one for myself (too bad they grow up...too bad anything grows up!). They also had face painting and pumpkin decorating as well as a scarecrow dress up area. It was really fun. I told Daniel that when we have our little house in the country out there someday I'm definately going to do a pumpkin patch. I got a million pics so I picked a few of my favorites to post on here! Hope you like them!

Park Play

2008-10-08T17:48:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I know its been a while but what can I say...not much has happened. Daniel continues to enjoy his job (somewhat) and I am just hanging out enjoying the spring-ish weather here in Houston.
Daniel and I have recently taken up tennis which we are both decidedly terrible at. But its fun and we go after Peyton's in bed so its nice to get out.
We also finally took Peyton to the park to "play" for the first time ever! He really didn't know what to do on the equipment but he loved the swing and had a great time playing in the rocks. Anyway, it was probably most fun for me. I took a bunch of cute pictures!
Thats really all for now. I know. Pretty boring. I will try to do something exciting this week to tell y'all about.

Back in Houston

2008-09-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! (This post is for everyone this time). Peyton and I made it back to Houston after being in Idaho for a week and a half visiting my folks. We flew in on Friday, slept, and got back in the car on Saturday to go to SanAntonio to my nephew Jack's blessing. Then we slept at Daniel's brothers apartment and got back in the car Sunday and drove back to Houston. So now...after a VERY long weekend of traveling...we are finally home.
Now to catch you up...Cici and Poppy's (mom and dad Carter) place was so nice. I got to spend a lot more time than usual with my family and got to take Andrew to the MTC which was really sad and exciting at the same time. I hung out and went shopping with my mom and sisters and got to spend some time with one of my best friends Gari. Of course I couldn't get through the visit without everyone hitting me up for some free design consultations! I spent a lot of the time there painting walls, shopping for furniture, and hanging pictures. But it was so much fun and I love doing it. I will post some pics of a few of my "home makeover" projects when I get them. It was also really nice to be away from hurricane Ike cleanup in Houston. My inlaws didn't even get power until the day Peyton and I came home! They went for 2 weeks without it and that was definately long enough. I'm glad we skipped out of most of that hot and humid "camping" experience.
Speaking of Ike, this place still carries the battle wounds. There are still a LOT of trees down all over and lots of tarps over roofs. Its kinda crazy. I guess a lot of people were pretty unprepared which is ridiculous to me considering they had been warning us for a week before it actually hit. The coast is wiped out, houses and land is completely lost in Galveston. We got pretty lucky in our area. We had 95 mph winds but we were on higher ground and didn't get any flooding. Just makes you realize how important it is to have a plan and be prepared for anything.
Enough of that. So I decided I will NEVER travel again with a baby by myself. It was SOOO exhausting and I would rather pay someone to fly with me than do it again. Don't get me wrong, Peyton is generally a really happy easy-going kid but he is now one (adjusted age) and he will NOT sit still for longer than two seconds! Plus, he will NOT sleep in public, hes too busy looking around at everyone and everything. So there I was with my big suitcase, carseat, diaper bag, and a one year old strapped to me, running through the Denver airport trying to catch a flight that was about to leave. Then once we got on the plane, we sat for an hour before it took off due to "weather conditions". Peyton hadn't slept at all since 8 am and it was 6:30 pm. He kept climbing up me to look at the people in the seats behind us. The man next to us had a laptop out and was trying to ignore the fact that Peyton's only goal of the trip was to drool all over it. I kept wishing that the guy would just get a clue and put it away which would've made my job of keeping Peyton from annoying the other passengers significantly easier. But no. He just kept on acting like he didn't see me fighting Peyton's grimy hands away from the glowing screen. It was like a mosquito to a bug zapper. Oh and did I mention that Peyton is in to biting now? Oh yes, he finally got a top tooth in and now when I try to restrain him or take something from him he bites me. Where the heck did he learn that?!! For all the other moms out there, what is the best way to discipline your kids in public without people calling the child protective services on you? I'm serious...I'd really like to know. Or are we supposed to just hide out in a padded room with our children until they turn 10? Anyway, NEVER again.
So I guess I should do something productive now...I'll post more when I have more to post!

This ones for Tiff...

2008-09-21T00:24:00.000-07:00

So I know a bunch of people read this but if you're not Tiff then I give you permission to skip this post...or if you're really bored or just plain curious I guess you can read it. Tiff! I miss you like crazy! I am the most horrible long-distance friend and I am so sorry! We keep playing phone tag so I knew you would check your blog so I thought I would use this as a means to reach my bestest friend. :) Oh my gosh! I was in a freaking hurricane! It was so cool but Daniel wouldn't wake up to come outside with me and I was too scared to go out by myself in case a tree or something landed on me. I really wanted to get a picture and video tape. I tried to get a little on tape but it just sounds like static and you can't really see anything because the power went out and it was the middle of the night. I was bummed about that. Why do natural disasters seem to always happen in the middle of the night? Anyway, we could've had so much fun in a hurricane! I really wish you were there! (People who might be reading this who aren't you are probably like "great friend she is. wanting to drag someone into a hurricane with her." but I know you get me, thats whats so fun about you).
Now I'm in Middleton and you're not here and that really stinks. I tried to get my family to go through Rexburg after we took Andrew to the MTC. They said it was too far out of the way. I wish you were here! Hey, whay aren't you here? You're best friend is within driving distance and you won't even go see her!? Whats that about. I guess I just love you more than you love me. Oh well, I'm leaving to go back down to Jumanji on Monday. Daniel says they STILL don't have power. And it is HOT. Oh well, maybe I can sweat off the last 10 pounds I have to lose.
OK. Really. We need to start formulating our plan here soon. Our husbands are graduating soon (somewhat) and we are going to start needing to break them down so that we end up being neighbors for the rest of our lives. We need to make it happen Tiff. Because seriously, I don't think I can live without you. I am scouting out a nice spot of land in Magnolia...it has our names written all over it...if only we could convince the Daniels...
So you "tagged" me, I didn't even know I was playing, but I guess that means its my turn to answer your questions. Here it is:
1. 3 Joys
Tiffany Dunn
Breyers Rocky Road
Really good kisses (but not from Tiffany Dunn)

2. 3 Fears
That everyone I love will die and go to heaven and I will be left alive and alone.
Going crazy.
Living a boring and unhappy life.

3. Current Goals
Get my hubby graduated
Get my son walking
Get myself together

4. Current Obsessions
Scrapbooking
Interior Decorating
Self-help

5. Random facts about me
I am more fun around Tiffany Dunn than anyone else in the world.
I have a fifth grade picture of myself that looks just like Legolus off of Lord of the Rings.
I secretly wish I was a rockstar and I can't wait to be old so that I have an excuse to act completely ridiculous and wear outrageous hats. (those last two things were oddly unrelated)

There you go Tiff! NOw I guess I'm sposed to tag someone...I tag Aubrey and Lisa! Tiff! I love you and miss you tons! I will be better at ccalling you! I hope you enjoyed your own little post from me to you!

Gettin Outta Town!

2008-09-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry its been a while since I last posted. There hasn't been a whole lot going on but at the same time its been soooo busy (how does that make any sense?)! Daniel is trying very hard to enjoy his internship. He has definately learned what he DOES NOT want to do for a career. At least hes getting that much out of the experience. Along with work he is taking some online classes. I am also taking three online classes in an attempt to graduate with some form of a degree in April alongside Daniel. I haven't taken classes since 2005 so I am very rusty and new to the online classroom thing. It will be interesting and difficult to get back into school mode. We'll see how it goes.
In other news, hurricane Ike looks like it might hit us in a few days. Conveniently on the day that I was supposed to be flying out to Boise to take my little brother to the MTC. So I had to change my flight to leave a day sooner. Hopefully that will be good enough to dodge that storm. It will be a very INTERESTING experience flying with Peyton and no help. I don't know if I even have enough arms to cart everything around. Hes pretty active now and is starting to definately express himself which could be very bad news on a long flight. All I can ask is this...PRAY FOR ME. :) Peyton and I will be in Middleton until the 22nd. Daniel doesn't like the idea much considering the fact that the longest hes been away from me was 9 days a couple years ago and the longest hes been away from Peyton was 5. Good thing hes got his parents and friends to keep him entertained. Peyton and I are very excited to see Uncle Andrew off for his 2 year mission with the church to Mexico City and we are also very excited to show CiCi and Poppy our new "tricks" (waving byebye and bear crawling etc.).
Anyway, thats pretty much all I've got right now...Oh! Nona and I have totally redone her kitchen the last week and a half! I will post the before and after pics soon. It looks amazing and we love it! Write more when I get back!

Ready to Work

2008-08-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Thought I'd post real quick about Daniel's internship stuff. So Daniel DID fet hired on with a great company (phew) here in Houston. Their called Goodman something or other (Daniel will not be happy that I can't remember the name) and they are the 2nd largest manufacturer and distributor of heating and air conditioning systems. Daniel will be working on a pretty big project that has to do with international sales which he is pretty excited about and will look great on a resume. He will most likely start next week although we're waiting to find out when exactly and they have offered to start him at $15 an hour which is more than what we were expecting (always nice). Daniel has had a long month off to sleep in and "do nothing" so he is well rested and ready to work. Along with his internship, it looks like I might be taking over Travis's job (Daniel's little brother) when he goes back up to school in a couple weeks. It will be a very laid back job with decent pay working in the laundry facilities at the LDS temple which happens to be just around the corner from here. If they decide they need me, I will be getting $9 an hour and will be working no more than 20 hours a week. Nona has offered to watch Peyton so it will work out great if I get it. A little extra money would be nice plus it would get me out of the house. We will see!
For family news we are pleased to announce that we have a new nephew! Daniel's older brother's wife Courtney had their second baby a few days ago, a very cute 9 lb baby boy they named Jack. I can't believe how big he is! Courtney is so tiny you would never think a 9 lb baby would be possible for her! Jack is literally more than 8 times the size of Peyton when he was born! Of course that isn't that unusual considering Peyton was a 1 lb baby! :) Anyway, we are all headed to San Antonio tomorrow to meet Jack and see his mommy and daddy and I can't wait! I know its going to make me very baby hungry! I already am! It is funny that I spent so much energy wishing for Peyton to grow and now that he has gotten so big I wish he would stop and just stay my little cute baby! Its crazy what a baby will do to a girl. It makes us all googley eyed and loopy.

On the road again...

2008-08-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry its been so long since we've blogged! We've had a super busy month an d a half. Heres a little list of what we've been up to:
-I worked my tail off all through July to finish decorating a 6 bedroom 4 bath home in Idaho Falls which looks great (if I do say so myself)...I'll post pics when the finishing touches are done.
-Peyton began army crawling finally and is now a little soldier army crawling at amazing speeds and getting into everything he can. He also recently learned to pull himself up stairs and onto his feet with some support.
-Daniel was very relieved to finally finish his summer semester at BYU-ID and was very proud to say that his Taco Rapido IBC company came in 2nd place for revenue by a hair. He also was able to maintain excellent grades and is now looking toward graduation in the spring.
-We all flew to Houston at the end of June for Daniel's grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. Peyton and I went a little early to spend time with everyone and let me tell ya, that boy got so spoiled! The anniversary celebration was great and it was so good to show Peyton off to those family members who hadn't met him yet.
-After Houston, Peyton and I drove down to Middleton to see my family and extended family on my mom's side and to decorate Jenna's (my little sis) room for her 13th birthday. It was so much fun and it was somewhat bittersweet because my grandpa (who everyone had come to see) was just diagnosed with pretty advanced cancer along with a serious heart condition. That could be the last time we see him so it was very good that we were able to go. We worked hard on Jenna's room and it turned out so cute, I'll post pics of that later too.
-After the traveling we got busy packing and cleaning the apartment and moving our stuff into Daniel's grandparent's empty grain siloh for storage in Shelley. It was SOOOO exhausting but we finally got it done and somehow managed to leave by the 27th of July to make our way south for the summer/fall.
-The day before we left for Houston I did pictures with a great photographer in the NICU for one last time. She did a great job and promised to volunteer her time and her talent once a month to go in and take beautiful professional pics of the NICU babies and their parents. I was so glad to have found her and so touched by her willingness to help and I am glad to have left that volunteer experience on such a good note. After she did the NICU pics we went and did some Peyton pics in downtown IF. I'll post some of them because they are ADORABLE!
-I can't believe how we fit all our stuff into our ford taurus to move down to Houston. I kept looking at the pile and telling Daniel that there was no way it would fit. Miraculously and with a lot of careful puzzelwork we fit it all in the car with the help of a bungee cord to strap the over-flowing trunk shut. Peyton was in a cave in the backseat which actually worked out well because it shielded him from the sun and tuned out some of the noise. He did really well on the trip and we made it here in three days. The total driving time ended up to about 31 hours but we split it up and it actually wasn't too bad.
And thats where we are now. We are living with Daniel's very generous parents and Daniel is interviewing for a few various internships. We are hoping he will find a good one soon so that he can begin working. He is SO glad to have a break from classes since he has been going to school nonstop for the past two years. Peyton and I are loving the pool that Daniel's parents have in the back yard and I am also doing a little bit of catering with a friends catering business while we're here. It'll be a good change of scenery for a while and we plan to return to finish Daniel's last semester at BYU-ID in January.

Blow out the candles!

2008-06-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We hope all is well with you! Its been a while since the last post but that doesn't mean we haven't been doing anything. Actually we have been very busy! Here is the summary of the last month or so:
-We were interviewed by 2 news stations and 2 newspapers for the March of Dimes and Peyton's preemie story.
-Daniel started his taco stand with his class group and has been running around campus promoting it because he is in charge of marketing for the business.
-The turnout for the NICU parent support group has been rapidly increasing and we have been having fun running that.
-I am still decorating a house in Idaho Falls and it is coming together beautifully (if I do say so myself).
-We have only lost one grass volleyball game even with the constant wind, hail, and rain that we've had nearly every game.
-Last weekend we had the March for Babies in Idaho Fall.
-Daniel's birthday was on Sunday the 8th and so we had a combined birthday party for him and Peyton (Peyton's b'day is this Saturday).
So thats pretty much it. Despite the 45 degree weather and 30 mile an hour winds we had a pretty good turnout for the March for Babies and walked the 6 miles around the river. About a quarter of the people there were our family and friends: Tim, Cindy, Jenna, and Andrew Carter, Great Granny Rawson and Great Grandpa Rawson, Aunt Deanne and Cousin Devry and Paxton and Cooper, Christen and Matt Schneider with their 2 doggies Charlie and Trooper, and Daniel, Tiffany, Wesley, and Kate Dunn. There were also a few people that Daniel invited from class that braved the weather and showed up. We actually had a lot of fun even though it was cold. EIRMC provided a breakfast before hand and a barbeque afterwards. I spoke a few minutes before the walk and Daniel was interviewed again by Channel 3 news. All in all a really good event, though I'm glad it is over and am relieved to have one less thing on my plate for a little while. We did manage to reach our goal which was $1000 thanks to all of you and your wonderful donations. Thanks so much for your help!
That same night we had a big party for Daniel and Peyton's birthdays. We had about 20 people come and had quite the full house! Peyton was showered with toys and had more fun playing with the wrapping paper than his presents. Daniel got a few dvds, a game, and a really nice bike that Daniel Dunn helped me pick out for him. He has already ridden it to school twice now and says that he loves it although the uphill route is giving him a pretty severe workout. We had pizza and ice cream cake for Daniel, chocolate cake for Peyton. Peyton also got a high chair from Cici and Poppy which he got to try out while eating his b'day cake. I couldn't believe how much he LOVED his cake! I didn't think he would eat it because he is pretty picky about textures but I turned around and he was shoving it into his mouth by the fist fulls! It was pretty funny. He got all hopped up on sugar and was acting crazy. Cici very thoughtfully gave him a bath afterward and cleaned of the chocolate that he had caked himself in. It was a really fantastic day!

Summer? Is that you?

2008-04-30T09:37:00.001-07:00

Its been kind of a crazy month so we haven't had time to sit down and post anything. So let me fill you in...
Daniel's little brother Travis lived with us for a while before he was able to move into his apartment up here at BYU-ID. It was fun to have him, although I'm not sure if he'd say the same thing if you asked him. Our apartment isn't exactly DisneyWorld and I think he was more than ready to start school and get into his own place by the time he was able to. Daniel's mom Nena (Nona---her granma name) was here for a bit too when she dropped Travis off. It is always SO fun to see her! She is such a firecracker!
Daniel was lucky enough to be able to get everything arranged the way he needed it to so that he could go to school and take the classes that he needs this summer. His schedule is the most demanding that he has had so far and we already can NOT wait until this semester is over. He leaves the house around 7:15 am and usually doesn't get home until 7:30 pm and then sometimes has to go back for group meetings later than that even. The good news is that BYU-ID has short summers only going through until mid July. Then he will have a nice long break until September. Its pretty crazy and I'm trying to cut him as much slack as possible.
Since Daniel is going to school this summer, I have to wait to go back myself since we can't afford for both of us to go right now. That kinda bummed me out since I was anxious to finish up, but it really would be impossible for us both to go, especially since he would never be home to watch Peyton for me to go to class. I think during the 2nd block I will try to see if we can afford for me to take an online class or two. I'd have to do something this summer in order to finish at the same time as Daniel. We'll see.
I'm still decorating houses and trying to get the NICU group up and running at the hospital. The turnout is getting better which is encouraging and I am finally cleared to go into the NICU unsupervised so I know that will help the program take off. I need to get this March for Babies thing on track. I have been busy with the NICU things and have sort of put that aside but the march is only a month away so its time to get crackin! Please help us! This is a fantastic cause! Please donate at our website or if you can't donate then at least get the word out for us about the event! Thank you thank you!
Oh...okay...so I really am going to get my inventory together this week and post some items on my website CatsCranny. Sorry if you've looked at it and nothing was there for you to see! :) Check again in a few days and there will be a few things!
Oh my gosh!! I haven't told you the best news! RSV season is OVER!!!!! You have no idea what that means to us (especially me)! We are no longer quarantined in our tiny apartment! We are now officially "allowed" to take Peyton out and about. It is SOOOO nice! It has been the longest winter of my life, literally and figuratively. Now if we can just get the weather here to cooperate. This weather is so schizophrenic. One minute it is really nice and warm and the next its haling. This week it is so nice, around 70 degrees, and a week ago there was a blizzard. I'm sick of it! Just leave winter! You are no longer wanted! (Actually, you weren't wanted in the first place).
Well thats us in a nutshell! I have pics of Peyton with his glasses I need to post so those will be up here soon!

Change of plans...

2008-04-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

So...Daniel didn't get the Target internship after all. Big bummer. It was actually pretty ridiculous the way they went about his interviews and such. He first interviewed with them in February, then had several other interviews with various Target people over an entire month, all of whom acted like Daniel was "just what they were looking for", and then just before the begining of the summer semester they finally told him via e-mail that they had given the job to someone else. Yeah...we were pretty suprised and annoyed that they would lead him on like that. Especially since he turned down other internships and opportunities that wanted an answer back at the end of February. So Daniel has had to go back to the dean of the business program and beg to get into IBC this summer since it was full when he found out about the Target internship. He was let in eventually to IBC and now he feels like things have probably worked out for the best. I'm glad he can be positive about the whole thing. Its been a real pain in the rear. So now the plan is that he will continue working on campus through the summer and do his IBC (a class that requires you to run a business from start to finish throughout the semester) and then apply for fall internships. It'll workout I'm sure and he will still be able to graduate next April.
Well thats the latest on that! Write more later!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Nona and Travis are in town this week! YEA!! Travis is coming up here for school in the summer. He is going to be staying with us for a while until he can get into his apartment. It has been so much fun to have them here!
Daniel has his final interview with Target on Monday. He has had to have like 4 different interviews and had to take this quiz thing and had to have even more phone interviews and now finally he is going to meet with the corporate recruiter for his final interview. It seems like a pretty intense interview and application process just for a summer internship. Oh well. I know he is going to get the job. We just have to hear it from this corporate person. Hes pretty excited to work for Target even though he was dissapointed about turning down Smuckers. They seem pretty easy to work with as far as scheduling and what not...except for Sundays. They don't budge on the Sunday issue so I guess that means he will have to work a few Sundays this summer. They did say that they would schedule his Sunday work around church though so I think that made him feel a little better.
I am keeping pretty busy lately with the NICU Parent Support Group and the March for Babies. Also, I am decorating a house in Idaho Falls for a lady who Daniel had talked to about me. I'm really excited to decorate again and since the lady has a pretty large house I am planning on working on it for a good month or so.
Before I forget, we really need donations for our March for Babies walk in June. If you would like to donate go to www.marchforbabies.org/TeamPeyton and sponsor us! Please help us out and support the March for Babies! They literally saved Peyton's life.
Another thing I am doing these days is starting an online shop and selling my craft projects. I am still getting an inventory together but I hope to have it up and running by the end of next week. There will be my handpainted cards, silhouette baby onesies, and artwork, among various other little items. Go to www.CatsCranny.etsy.com to see what I've got for sale!
We love you all and wish you a HAPPY EASTER!

Peyton's Follow up Clinic....and his four eyes

2008-03-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all, Daniel here again. This past weekend we went back down to Provo for Peyton's follow up visit with his original occupational therapist, eye doctor, pediatrician, nutritionist, etc. This is done every six months. It was great to go back and see some of his old doctors and nurses. Also, we saw some of the other babies that were Peyton's neighbors for a little while when he was in the NICU--some doing great, others not so great. Peyton, however, is doing fantastic from what the doctors say. He's very healthy, and his lungs are much better. Something rather suprising though is that he needs glasses. We knew that he would need them at some point, but we didn't think he would need them this early. As some of you know, Peyton had ROP in both eyes, which is a cause for blindness in many preemies. ROP has five stages. Once at stage 4 and 5, blindness is pretty much inevitable. Doctors have to intervene and perform a laser corrective procedure before their eyes reach those stages. Anyway, Peyton's eyes reached stage 3, but miraculously did not progress to the other stages and avoided needing laser surgery--which would have caused him to lose his periphreal vision. Because he did reach stage 3, the doctors said he would probably be nearsighted. At the follow-up clinic, the doctor said that Peyton is nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other. He also has stigmatisms in both eyes. Hence, the need for him to get glasses this week. It will be interesting to keep glasses on a 9 month old baby. I am sure they will be in his mouth much more than on his face. We think its a definite good thing for him developmentally, since it would be pretty hard to focus on things when your eyes are improperly balanced visually. He'll be a four-eyed stud like his daddy!

Internship

2008-03-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

Just thought that I would post an update on the internship search. I had two interviews last week, one with JM Smuckers and the other with Target. I was primarily going after JM Smuckers since they have been in Fortune Magazines Best 100 companies to work for in the U.S. (being in the top 25 for eight years in a row). Plus, their internship payed pretty well and also paid for the housing...which by the way was right on the beach in Oxnard California! It was a pretty exciting opportunity. I was offered the position, but after going through everything we would need to keep Peyton's health care, occupational therapists, etc. we discovered that moving out of state would really complicate things. Although very exciting it would be, it wasn't right for our family, so I turned them down....regretfully. Right now I have one more interview with Target, which would be a local internship here in Idaho Falls. They pay very well, and I'm actually excited about staying in Rexburg for the summer. Catherine also has a lot of work cut out for her with the parent support group at the NICU in Idaho Falls and with the March of Dimes March for Babies coming up in June. I guess when you grow up and have kids, you have to give up those exciting opportunities to live on the beach for free. It's worth it all in the end, and I'm actually pretty excited about this Target opportunity.

Giggly Peyton

2008-02-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had Peyton lying on the floor and I just walked up to him and he started laughing hysterically! I didn't even do anything, he just thought I was so funny. It was the hardest and longest I have ever seen him laugh so about five minutes into it I finally grabbed the video camera! It is so cute! Hope you all get a kick out of it like we did!

The Internship Search

2008-02-24T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll. We're doing just dandy here at the Rawson residence. Peyton continues to grow and get cuter and cuter. He is now "officially" been discharged from his O2 by the doctor and we're glad to finally get rid of the piles of O2 tanks and tubes. He has a follow up clinic on March 7th in Provo and we're excited to have an excuse to go back and see his old doctors and nurses form the NICU. Its funny how you hate the hospital so much while you're in it but miss it when you are kicked out! :) He will have all the normal checkups and such and also be seen by his NICU occupational therapist and the ROP specialist will examine his eyes (which is horrible to watch...poor Peyton). It will be nice to get the rundown from all his original doctors, the doctors here are not as educated on preemies. Also it will be very good to see some friends from Provo again! We miss them so much!
We got to go to my parents last weekend and we had a great time hanging out with the family and getting away from the Rexburg snow. Unfortunately Poppy had to go away on a business trip so we didn't get to see him much but it was still really nice to see the rest of my family. Daniel and I got to leave Peyton at home with Cici and Aunty JenJen while we went on a REAL date with Christen and Matt. It was so much fun and so nice to be a couple again! We saw "I Am Legend". We loved it and it was very intense, Matt almost pee'd his pants which is funny because hes a big tough cop.
Daniel went to the Career Fair on campus the other day and had some great interviews with various companies for internships. He has a couple more tomorrow and Tuesday which he is looking forward to. I'm sure he will get some great offers. The only problem is that all the internships he is applying for are for the summer, which kind of screws up his school schedule since he is on the Winter/Summer track here at BYU-I. I'm sure it will work out somehow though. Keep you posted on what happens there.
March 6th Peyton and I are going to EIRMC for the March of Dimes Kickoff and Open House. Since we are the Ambassador family for the area I will be there to tell our story and answer questions for the people who attend. I'm a little nervous but excited to get started. Have you got your team signed up for the March for Babies in your area? If not got to the website and make a team and follow the directions for sponsorship. If you happen to be in the Idaho Falls area on March 6th, come by EIRMC between 11:00 and 1:00 pm and I'll be there with the March of Dimes people to get you started.
Speaking of being nervous, they asked me to play the piano in Sacrament meeting today. I played the only church song I've written, a rendition of "Nearer my God to Thee" that I wrote a couple of years ago for my Granpa's funeral. I was sooooo nervous! It is irritating! I could literally play that song with my eyes closed but for some reason when I have to play in front of people I ge panicky and I feel like I'm going to either pass out or throw up! Then when i finally make my way to the piano I look at the keyboard and it seems completely like a foreign object to me and I can't even remember where middle C is! I've been playing the piano in front of people since I was 6! You'd think I'd be over this by now. Anyway...it really bugs me how much stage fright I have. I tell myself that no one cares and try to pretend I'm alone but I still freak out. Whatever, Tiff came and said I did good. I guess the good thing is that since I wrote the song myself no one could really tell how bad I screwed up since they'd never heard it before. The bad thing about performing my own songs though is that I don't actually physically write them down so when I'm nervous up there I have nothing to look at and if I forget the song (like I ALWAYS do) theres nothing there to save me. HHHuummmph. I still am shaking and its been two hours since I played. Honestly it feels like I just ran a marathon. Thats how bad it is. I know...I'm pathetic. Well, if you would like to ever hear my music Daniel is helping me record it, alone, in the comfort of my own home, where no one can hear me, and we can get you a CD or something. Just don't expect me to play it for you live and we will all be able to enjoy ourselves. :)
Hope all is well with everyone and like always we love you tons and tons!

Happy love day!

2008-02-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to tell everyone Happy Valentine's day and that we love you all soooo much!
Peyton and I are spending most of the day with Tiffany Dunn and her kids becasue her hubby is out of toen and mine is taking tests until 8:00 pm. It'll be fun though! We love Tiff! Her son Wesley loves Peyton and has been asking Tiff after we leave, "Meynon's house?" (he says Meynon instead of Peyton...hes only 19 months). Its really cute.
Last night Daniel and I left Peyton with Tiff and went to see the Vienna Boys Chior on campus. It was really amazing! Those boys got pipes! It was so nice to get out, just the two of us, since we NEVER go anywhere becasue Peyton can't go in public yet. The only downside was that when Daniel was backing out of our parking lot there was a dark car parked illegally behind him that he didn't see and he bumped into it. We left a note even though we couldn't see any damage for ourselves and so far they haven't called. OOooops. :(
Daniel had another "oops" this morning when he was trying to leave to go to class. His truck is not made for snow and ice and hes been getting stuck in the parking lot a lot lately. Well this morning I guess he couldn't push it out when it was in neutral and so he decided to put the truck in reverse thinking that he could give it a push and then run around and hop in. Yeah...it didn't really happen that way. He barely pushed and the truck rolled back faster than he thought it would so he ran around, grabbed the door, slipped and fell, almost got his head run over, and the truck burried its back end in the 4 foot snow bank on the side of the lot. He felt really dumb and probably won't appreciate me posting it on here but it was really funny to me. He has just had really bad luck with cars the past few days. Anyway, he came in and woke me up and we spent and hour and a half digging his truck out and pushing it back onto the parking lot. Happy Valentine's morning to us. WE HATE THE SNOW.
Tomorrow we will be going to Middleton to see my family and we're excited to get out of here for a few days. Hopefully the weather will be good and we won't have any more "oopses" to report when we get back!
Love you Love you! :)

March of Dimes donations

2008-02-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

Oh...also if you would like to make a donation in honor of Peyton to the March of Dimes you can click on our link and then on "How You Can Help" and then there is a box that says "Banding Together". Click there and then do search for a band and type in Peyton Rawson. It should take you to his band and let you make a donation in honor of him! Fun fun!

snowed in!

2008-02-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

OH MY GOSH!!!! It won't stop snowing! There is literally like 4 feet of snow right outside our apartment. This morning Daniel had to take the car to class because his truck was snowed in. It is begining to get a little ridiculous. We were planning on going tubing with the Dunns this weekend but I think there is actually TOO much snow to go! Oh well...I guess its good for springtime moisture.
Not much has happened since I last blogged. My friend Tiffany and I are doing girls nights every Wednesday night now. We have way too much fun together, its a much needed break for both of us and our hubbys don't mind too much becaust they're best friends too and they just watch the kids and hang out while we're gone. Last night we saw the movie "Enchanted". It was soooo cute! Go see it if you haven't already.
Our family was chosen as the March of Dimes Ambassador Family for the Idaho Falls/Eastern Idaho region. Basically we will just help get together sponsors and teams for the Walk for Babies by visiting companies and sponsors and telling our story about Peyton and answering questions about the March of Dimes. We are really excited and can't wait to start helping out. If any of you would like to get a team together for the Walk for Babies or if you own a company and would like to sponsor a team just log on to marchofdimes.com and you'll find the info there. If you happen to be in the Idaho Falls area and would like to participate we are trying to get our team together so let us know! Together we can help these babies and solve the mystery of preterm labor! We love you all!

Hibernating

2008-01-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

It is still soooo cold outside here in Rexburg! It got down to -27 the other night! BRRRRR! Peyton and I are keeping warm hibernating for the winter while papa bear is out freezing in the cold hiking on campus everyday. Daniel is really liking his schedule this semester. He is taking 14 credits and works 18 hours a week as a peer advisor on campus. He is enjoying his job, there is a lot of downtime, and he gets a lot of his homework done during work which is great. I try my best to keep myself busy with Peyton but it gets really boring being stuck inside our little apartment every day. I have been exercising daily and trying to eat right so that I can fit back into my old clothes. Its tough and frustrating but Daniel keeps me motivated cheering me on from the couch with his tub of chocolate ice cream. It really stinks that he can not work out and eat whatever he wants and stay the exact same size! I feel silly that I have gotten so much bigger since I can't really blame it on my 1 and a half pound baby. :) But the hormonal changes and stress and staying home has all caught up to me and its time to get my old body back. At least it gives me something to do everyday.
Aunt Christen and Uncle Matt came on Monday. It was so great to hang out with them and let Peyton meet another uncle. I think Matt really liked him. I know Christen is in love with Peyton. We're all "chubby chasers" now! :)
On Friday Peyton and I met with the social worker and the lady in charge of the NICU in Idaho Falls to meet and greet and discuss our plans for the new Parent Support program we want to start. They were so wonderful and were very excited that I was so excited about helping them get something going. There is still some red tape to get through before we can really get going, I need a backround check and a TB test before I am allowed in the NICU, but we are at least on our way and I am thrilled to be doing something with our experience.
Peyton is pretty much completely off his oxygen now! We only put it on him if his saturations start to drop or when he sleeps but he has done really well without it for the past four days straight, even at night. It is so nice to have a cordless baby for the first time ever. I can put him in his baby sling and carry him around with me without having to drag a big tank around behind us. I can tell Peyton feels relieved to to not have anything in his nose anymore. We are very excited and are so grateful still at how well he has turned out.
Well, thats a lot of news so I guess I'll stop but I'll keep you posted!

Its been a while...

2008-01-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Well the holidays are over and we're settled in to our new apartment in Rexburg now. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years.

Peyton was blessed in Provo on the 30th of December. It was a beautiful blessing and his daddy did such a wonderful job. We were so blessed and honored to have both sides of the family there for the most part and missed those that couldn't make it. We loved seeing everyone and we are so grateful for the love and support!

Daniel's family came on the 26th of December from Houston and we had a great time with them, especially since we don't see them as often as we would like. Nona graciously babysat Peyton on the 27th so that Daniel's dad, brothers, and I could spend the day snowboarding. The boys had a great time. I on the other hand spent the day falling down the mountain time after time. I was frozen, wet, bruised, and exhausted by the end of the day. I was frustrated that my body just didn't perform like it used to! I hear that having a baby does that to you. Next time, if there is a next time, I think I will take it slower and only go half day. It was fun to get out of the house though regardless of the pain and suffering. :)

We moved on the 31st and arrived in Rexburg that evening. It was 7 degrees outside when we got there. I'm afraid its going to be a long winter! But we are glad to be here and to be finally finishing up school...at least the first half.

Peyton is doing wonderfully. He is over 12 lbs now and is starting to babble and laugh and play. He is on the lowest flow of O2 and I monitor him periodically throughout the day. He is very close to be able to do without it so that exciting. It was quite a hassle to get everything set up for him here but I think its all set now which is a relief.

I contacted the Social Worker at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center to see if Daniel and I could volunteer for their NICU parent support group. I left a few messages and finally got a call back on Monday. The social worker there said that as of yet they didn't have a parent group but have been thinking about forming one since they have just recently expanded their NICU to except babies as young as 28 weeks and are working towards further expanding to be ready for babies as young as 23 weeks. She was very excited to hear that I was so interested in helping out and we spent 45 minutes talking about how the parent support group was run in Provo. She told me that she thinks I have great ideas and would be a good person to get their program started. She is going to get the permission and paperwork worked out and she is supposed to call me by next week. Hopefully starting next week I will be able to volunteer there talking to parnets and helping them through their preemie struggles. I'm really excited to put our experience to good use!

Peyton is crying at me so I gotta run! Keep you posted!

One more thing...

2007-12-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, we will be moving back to Rexburg so I can finish up at BYU-Idaho. We really dont want to since we both love our set up here at BYU in Provo, UT. I have a great job at the MTC and we've met some great people, not to mention the excellent health care Peyton receives here. I came to Utah to attend BYU to avoid the wierd and difficult year-round track system at BYU-Idaho, and to take advantage of the Marriot School of Bussiness at BYU. Well, I've come to the decision that I want to do law school, something I've always had in the back of my mind but usually ignored it due to fear of not being able to cut it, and also being a slave to text books for another 3 years doesn't sound appealing. Anyway, so my goal is to (1) get the highest grades possible, and (2) graduate as soon as possible. I still want a bachelors in business since it interests me and also would protect me if I were to crash and burn in law school (not that I'm anticipating it or anything). So in my pursuit of graduating quicker, I spoke to a counselor here at BYU, who broke the news that graduation was farther away that I realized, so just out of curiosity, I also spoke to a counselor at BYU-Idaho to see how it compares in terms of gradution, and suprisingly I can graduate 2 semesters quicker if I go back. That also includes a 4 month internship in between. Classes will be easier, I would graduate quicker, and Cath and I would be close to great friends and family. So needless to say, we're moving at the end of this month. I got a job on-campus working as a peer advisor in the career and advisement department--taking a major paycut, but I guess that's the price you pay. We're excited for new scenery, or seeing old scenery again I guess, but sad to leave Provo who has been great to us. It is clear that the Lord wanted us here (Idaho Falls would not have been able to care for Peyton had he'd been born there). Wish me luck! Besides, Cath and I are returning to the city were all the love started! The difference now is, no curfew to follow...so maybe we'll go back up to the ol make-out hill and spend a few hours past midnight just for the heck of it! :)

PEYTON BRENT

2007-12-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

Hello, its Daniel. Just thought I would take the opportunity to update the blog and post pictures so I can show off my lil champ. Peyton is officialy 11lbs now. It's wierd to think that he is now 11 times the size he was 6 months ago. He's handsome like his Dad, although, when I was a baby, my head was 11 pounds alone, so may I shouldn't compare him to me. As you can see, he has all of Catherine's features....except for the red hair...which ....neither of us has.......hmmmmm..... Anyway, here's a lil fighting Irish champ ( I hate noterdame, but hey I thought it was a good description).

Peyton usually hates being on his stomach. He was a better mood this day so I thought I'd take a couple of snapshots.

Speaking of being a good mood, Peyton was very happy when we took this picture. It funny to watch him focus in on objects now. He's gettin to be dang big and dang cute.

And here a quick video clip starting from Halloween. We'll post more recent ones here soon.

As you can see, he's doing great and love him tons. He's now on the lowest setting of oxygen but it hardly needs it. Hopefully he'll be off it soon. He's sleeping more, which means more sleep and sanity for us.

Holiday Chaos

2007-12-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Its been a crazy couple of weeks! Our apartment flooded when a tree root grew into the sewage pipe and backed it up. We couldn't let Peyton be around that kind of filthy atmosphere so Peyton and I headed on home to Idaho to stay with my parents until the owner got it taken care of and all cleaned up. Daniel stayed in the nasty apartment so that he could continue to go to work and school and we missed him so much! HE came up for Thanksgiving though so that was nice. While at my parents house my little brother got sick with pneumonia and had to stay out in the camper while Peyton and I were there. One night while just Peyton, my little sister, and I were home Adam (my little brother) came inside looking really pale and panting heavily. He nearly passed out before I could get him to the chair to sit down. I tried to get him to drink some water while my little sister took Peyton to the other end of the house. His body temperature was low and he was shivering and complaining that he was cold. His heart rate was 130 bpms and I was very worried that he was extremely dehydrated. He needed to go to the hospital but I couldn't leave Peyton to take him and I couldn't get a hold of anyone so I had to call 911 and have the ambulance come get him. Eventually I got a hold of my mom and she went and met him at the hospital. Apparently my suspicions were correct and he was very dehydrated. They kept him at the hospital for half the night and gave him 3 liters of IV fluid and put him on an antibiotic. It was pretty crazy but I'm glad he was alright. In the past month Peyton has had surgery, my apartment has flooded twice, I moved in with my parents for two weeks, my cousin committed suicide, and I called 911 for my brother. Why is it that when crazy things happen they happen all at once? Needless to say, we'll be just fine if December brings no adventure whatsoever. Peyton and I are loving being home again with Daniel even though Daniel has been consumed with work and school lately trying to wrap up with good grades and some extra cash before we move at the end of the month to Rexburg. I will be happy when we are all settled again in a new place closer to friends and family. I think we'll like our new apartment better too. It is a new place so hopefully that means we won't have problems with it like we have here. We hope alls well with all of you and like always, we'll keep you posted.

Such is life...

2007-11-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today was a gorgeous day and Peyton and I finally broke out his new stroller and went for a walk. He liked it for the first little while, about 7 blocks or so, and then he got tired of the sun being in his eyes I think so we went home. It was the most I've been outside in who knows how long. It was the first time Peyton was outside besides walking from our apartment to the car. He was mesmerized by the sounds of the crunching leaves as we wheeled over them and by the cars passing us on the street. It was fun to get out of the house. I hope the weather will hold up a little while longer so we can have more daytime walks.
Peyton seems to be healing well from his hernia surgery last week. He still is really whiny all day though and is either sleeping or fussing at me until I pick him up. Hes a spoiled baby, but he deserves it. It gets really tiring though, especially when he wakes up every two hours all through the night. You gotta love him though. Daniel can pretty much get him to smile on cue now. Its super cute. I finally got him to smile today too. That was probably about the most productive thing I did all day.
Daniel is working hard making money for us to survive and keeping his grades up. Hes such a great dad, and a phenomenal husband. I love him to death and I couldn't keep my sanity without him. My parents tell us, "Daniel is the anchor and Catherine is the sail." I guess that means we make one heck of a good boat.

Welcome to our blog!

2007-11-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll! We thought we would start a blog to keep everyone posted in Peyton's progress (post-carepages) as well as on the crazy happenings in our lives. We hope you enjoy! We'll keep you posted!