WE GOT SOME SLEEP!!!

Ahhhhhhhhh...we have some relief!! Last night was SO much better than any night since Lilee got sick over a month ago! THANK YOU to all who left a tip on how to get her to sleep better. I can't say it was just one thing that did it, nor am I naive enough to think it's totally "fixed", but it was SO nice to sleep for more than 40 minutes at a time. Last night, Lilee went to be about 8:30-swaddled. Woke up about 10...went in and un-swaddled her and laid her on her tummy(I feel bad for letting her cry it out swaddled and I'm afraid if she ever rolled over swaddled she'd be trapped). Patted her back and shhhhh-ed in her ear...she fell asleep. NORMALLY, 10 minutes after leaving she wakes up but last night she slept from 10-3am. YEAH!!! Then, I went in, got her and fed her a bit. She got antsy so I rocked her and she fell asleep. She woke COMPLETELY up when I went to lay her on her belly. I shhhh-ed her for a bit and then just left the room and SHE WENT TO SLEEP and SLEPT until 8:15 am!! YEAH FOR SMALL MIRACLES!! Seth went in to work a couple hours later than usual and partook of the extra sleep so we are BOTH finally feeling like we can rejoin the human race and actually think clearly now!! It was nice. Like I said, I'm not sure exactly what is changing things, but whatever we are doing we are going to keep it up and hope for the best!!

THANKS AGAIN for all the help!!

OH...AND HAPPY LEAP YEAR!!!

Will the SICKIES ever CEASE!?

Man o man...what a year for the yuckies...at least at our house! We've seen the Flu, Coughs, RSV, Strep Throat, Colds, Rashes, Diarrhea, and now an Ear Infection!! Keat spent the day WHINING yesterday to no avail from me or anybody for that matter. Of course, when daddy came home he followed him around saying "Daddy, daddy" with his arms outstretched! The SECOND Seth picked him up he cheered RIGHT UP!! But, we had already made the Dr's appt for this morning, so we made the drive to the Dr's this morning and sure enough...Keat has "one of the worst ear infections I've(the Dr.) ever seen"! WOW...I would probably whine if my ear hurt so bad also. Can't blame to poor kid. So, after we get some antibiotics in him today he should start to feel better! Here's hoping! I asked the Dr. when she expected things to settle down and she thought that by the end of March things should be better...again...here's hoping!! I'll probably even go as far as to pray that this is true...we just wanna be WELL!!!

Not a lot has gone on in the Becker house besides trying to keep Keat and Lilee from catching or sharing whatever is out there! Lilee still adores Keat and Keat, thankfully, still adores his baby sister! We have a hearing evaluation next Tuesday for Keat to see if there is any reason (hearing) why he isn't talking more. The Dr. didn't think there was a problem, but I just want to be sure. I'd hate to find out 6 months down the road that my poor kid wasn't hearing things correctly and set him back further! I, or course, am hoping nothing shows up...but I just want to be able to communicate with my little man. I hate to compare...but it's hard with so many little kiddos his age running around speaking full sentences and bartering with their parents. Some know the alphabet, others can count to ten. Keat doesn't even know his animals. It worries me to think that I may have failed him already...at 2! Am I not teaching him the things he should or working with him enough?! Do I let him watch too much TV? Are those other kids ahead or is Keat behind? Will he catch up? Ahhhh, it's enough to make me go insane. I just keep praying that one day he'll just start talking to me and then I can know that he was just being stubborn. Right now, I just use that as my fall back..."oh, I just think he's being stubborn, but really he knows all the things we tell him". I'm not sure I believe it anymore!

WOW, that was a real bummer post. Sorry...but that is definitely the thing foremost on my mind at the moment! Say a little prayer for us that Keat will start to say, Please, Thank-You, Sorry, I love you, and all the other in between things that we so desperately want to hear!! THANKS!

Here are a couple recent photos of my mute, BUT ADORABLE, little man!! I love you Keat!

It starts so early!

The funny comments that is! Even WITHOUT talking, Keat manages to say the funniest things. We went to McD's today(yes, I'm a bad mom who feeds her kids fast food), the lady at the drive thru gives Keat a mini ice cream cone which he LOVED! So, on the way home he is somewhat miraculously managing to NOT make a TOTAL mess of himself or the car. He takes a piece of the cone and starts to push it into this little hold in his car seat where the buckle comes from. (You wouldn't BELIEVE the stuff I've found in there) Here is our conversation...(notice the punctuation marks!)

Me: "Keat, no, don't put that in the hole."

Keat: "NO?"

Me: "no"

Keat: "No?"

Me: "No!"

Keat: "no?"

Me: "NO!"

Keat: "no."

It was SO funny...he may only say like 10 words but he sure is a funny kid and I love him to pieces!! I just KNOW it will get even more entertaining around here when he finally does decide to grace us with his vocabulary!

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

OKAY...I need your help!! Lilee is the WORST sleeper EVER!! We have been waking up every hour all night long for a couple weeks now. WHAT DO I DO?! We've tried crying it out, giving her the bottle(propping it up), swaddling...etc!! NOTHING works. The only thing we've found is that she'll sleep about 3-5 hours in her swing. She doesn't nap anywhere but her swing already and I am just going INSANE!! ANY help would be GREATLY appreciated!! Seth and I are just exhausted and in need of a good cure all!! E-mail me or write a comment if you have any suggestions...I really am open to ANYTHING...books, methods, things that worked for you!! THANKS!!

Family Photo Shoot

We FINALLY had family photos taken a couple weeks ago and we got to pick them up yesterday. I LOVE them all. We had Shannon Baker(svbphoto.com) take them and she did an AMAZING job. (I would HIGHLY reccommend her) She met us at Sagurao Park in Glendale and we had such a fun time with her for about 2 hours. Take a look at our gallery on her site!! I think they are just adorable. These are some of her favorites...but she gave us the disc with over 200 pictures on it and the rights to print however many we want...I LOVE IT!!!

http://www.svbphoto.com/Galleries

Find BECKER GALLARY and if it asks you for the password just answer the HINT question...it's pretty self explanatory!!

Here are some of our favorites...

Happy Valentines Day!

What does love mean to you?
Love is comfortable and exciting, peaceful and scary, perfect and a mess, beautiful and ugly all at the same time. It is UNCONDITIONAL!

What do you want out of a relationship?
All the things mentioned above. I want to be best friends forever.

What's the one thing that just makes you melt about your husband?
Watching him with our kids...he's the most amazing father and he comes home from work and actually WANTS to play with them...he doesnt' just feel like he has to. I love it!!

July 17th 2003

What is the best part about NOT being single?
I love knowing that I will ALWAYS have someone to lean on and who will support me and lift me up.

What is your dream date?
Anything PLANNED by Seth. One of the best dates was when he called from work and told me to be ready when he got home. I didn't know until we got to the place where we were going and what we were doing. It was actually really a simple date, but I loved being surprised!!

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Nope!

What's your all time favorite love song?
OH so many...for those of you who came to our wedding, we gave out CD's of our favorite love songs to take home. We always talk about making one for each year we are married because there are always more we think of or new ones that came out. (If any of you want a sappy love song cd we have about 50 leftover still...just ask:))

First Picture...First Dance '02

What is you and your husbands song?
Okay...we didn't have one and it ALWAYS bugged me so Seth got together with his friends and MADE...wrote, sang, etc...a song for US! It is a HOOT to listen to!! One of our songs is AT LAST because that was OUR song at our wedding!

Where did you meet your husband?
At college...same apartment building...mutual friends...singles ward...you get the picture!

What was the first thought that went through your head when you met?
He came over after my roomate borrowed their vaccuum and we all watched movies. Of course I thought he was pretty nice and nice to look at!! Another one of my roomates sort of called "dibs" on him but after not making a move for a week or so, I jumped in!! (there were no hard feelings)

What he was wearing?
Are you kidding me?! Idunno. Probably one of his 8th grade shirts and jeans that he still has to this day! Thankfully, since we've been married at least HALF his wardrobe is recent!!

Where was the first time you kissed him?
Unofficially~on the couch in his apartment...Officially~on my couch in my apartment!!

Utah trip '03

How did he ask you out?
I really don't remember all of this. I'm pretty sure we just talked about it. OH...I remember now...we planned on going to a movie but then he never called the day of...he stood me up!! The next morning I had a NOTE on my truck window saying he was a POO HEAD and he'd make it up to me! Good thing I gave him another shot!

Where did you go for your first date?
Our first OFFICIAL date was to the movie THE RING!!! WOW, scary!! Sometimes we say that our first date was at a stake Halloween party where I had to work a booth for the kids. He was the only one I could find that would come with me!!

Did you kiss on the first date?
NOPE!

How long did you know your husband before you became a couple?
Like a minute?! HAHAHA, no...he was just getting out of a long term relationship and wanted to date different people...THEN HE MET ME, and after I went on a couple dates with other guys he decided that maybe we should be exclusive and see where it would go!!

How did he propose to you?
It was Easter weekend and we were going back to his hometown to spend it with family. On Friday, he gave me an Easter Egg that had a charm for my necklace. On Saturday, he gave me an Easter Egg that had perfume in it. On Sunday, while we were "hunting" for eggs at his house, I "found" an Egg that had my ring in it...I opened it, he got on one knee, and the rest is history!

Engagement Photos '03

Do you have kids together?
Three BEAUTIFUL kiddos. Logan(our little angel), Keat(our wild man...can you believe he's TWO already?), and Lilee(our princess)!!

When was the first time you realized that you were in love with your husband?
Don't know how far into the relationship, but I told him I loved him on New Year's Eve at his family's house!

When was the first time you realized he was THE ONE?
Again, I don't remember WHEN...but at some point I came back home to my apartment and told all of my roomates that I was going to marry him. I just knew...he took a bit longer to figure it out...but in the end he did!

Do you get along with any of the ex's of your partner?
I've met her and she's friends with his family but we don't really see her that often!

Sedona '04

What’s the most expensive thing your husband has given you?
Our kids and his time...both are priceless!

What is one thing he does that gets on your nerves?
He isn't more romantic!!

What is one thing you do that gets on his nerves?
I don't clean as much as I should...I'm working on it!

Where do you see each other in 5 years from now? 10? 15?
In love...more kids...bigger house...more friends...HAPPY!!!

California '06

Keaton's 2nd Birthday

Happy Birthday to my Little Man! I can hardly believe that it has already been TWO years! Where has the time gone?! He has become such a great little kid and I wouldn't change a thing about him! He is high energy and keeps me on my toes, but he listens and is so much fun to play with!! I just love this little boy more than I could ever try to put into words! He has blessed our lives so immensely and I am so grateful to have him in our Forever Family! He is a WONDERFUL BIG brother and Lilee adores him! He is so good to always share his toys with her and entertain her when he needs to. I am so excited to watch him grow and develop even more. I can't wait until we can have "REAL" conversations! I'm sure the things that he will come up with are going to be hilarious...it's just his personality! He is for SURE his daddy's son! These two look identical!! Keat loves to do anything with his daddy and he helps us out so much whenever we need him to! I LOVE YOU BABY BOY...you absolutely light up our lives!!

He had his 2 year well check yesterday and is growing growing growing! He is in the 75% for height and 50% for weight. He had to get two shots in the arm and did great with the first, but then jumped when the second one went in and had to get poked again. It was so cute afterwards because anytime yesterday that he saw his "stickers" on his arms he would point and suddenly get sad like he just remembered they hurt...what a cute kid!

Here are some pictures from the festivities at his birthday party!

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It was a BUZZ LIGHTYEAR theme and the kids all seemed to have a good time!! The weather was PERFECT...in the 70's...and the company was great!! Thanks to all who attended and helped Keaton celebrate!!

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Amy L.

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Birthday Boy!

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Freeman C. and Amy L.

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Grandma Jean, Nana, and Tyne

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Amy L. and Lilee hanging with Lindsey L.

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Cousin Kolby

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Our MAKE-SHIFT sand box until daddy can make his big one!!

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Opening Presents

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The cake...it is SUPPOSED to be SPACE with Buzz on the moon and Zurg on another planet!!:)

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Keat's own STAR cake!

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It was a really fun day and Keat really enjoyed himself and all of his friends!!

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Here are a few other pictures from the last week or so...

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Ketaon's FIRST HOT CHOCOLATE!! Mmmmmmm, don't you love the mess?!

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KEATON IS LEARNING!!! Yeah....it has been WAY easier than I thougth it would be but we have a LONG way to go still!! He'll go anytime I ask him if he has to and he just jumps right on the big potty, does his business, and gets down!! I can't WAIT to have only one in diapers!!

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My little duckies!! Don't they look cute after their baths!!?

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Lilee has started to put her thumb in her mouth...we haven't figured out if she is gonna be a thumb sucker or if she is just teething. The Dr. said she has teeth about ready to come in, so that is what I am thinking...because she doesn't suck...she just gnaws all day and drools EVERYWHERE!!:) But it looks cute!

Little Miss Lilee

Well, since I have to be the WORST journal-er in the WORLD...this is the closest thing I have to documenting my kids lives...SO, please let me take this opportunity to tell you the latest and greatest with Miss Lilee Renee!!

As formentioned, Lilee had her 4 month well baby check on Jan. 29th. Here are her stats...she weighs in at a WHOPPING 15 lbs 14 1/4 oz!! YEP, she's a chunk. That puts her in the 75-90% range. Now, for her height she is still a lanky little girl at 26 inches long. Once again, she is OFF THE CHARTS for her length. And, as usual, her head is inthe 10-25% range! (I will again add a disclaimer that head circumference is no indication of brain size)

Just for fun, we compared her 4month check with Keat's and they are pretty much identical. Keat weighed 16 lbs 1oz. and was 26 inches long. However, her percentiles are much greater than his because of the boy/girl difference. So, Lilee is STILL a BIG girl with a LONG body!!

Lilee is just the sweetest little thing. We are having so much fun with her and her infectious smiles light up our days! She is growing and learning so much that we are literally amazed at what she is picking up on. For well over a month now she has been rolling back and forth from back to belly and belly to back. She recently has "forgotten" how to roll from her belly back to her backside and cries out when she feels stuck. She is getting REALLY good on her belly now and can push up and watch just about anything for any period of time. When she gets really irritated on her belly she even has begun to push off and scoot from place to place. What an overachiever!!

As I mentioned, her smile is GOLDEN...she truly is such a special spirit and we can't wait to see her personality develop even more! When she is upset, especially when no one is paying her any attention, she doesn't cry, but rather SQUAKS...it is HILARIOUS and drives daddy up the wall. He would rather listen to her cry than squak all the time, but mommy thinks it's funny because the second she goes to get her, Lilee just smiles as if nothing was wrong! What a funny girl!

Keat has become the most ADORABLE big brother to his baby sister. He thinks it is great that she laughs at him(he'll soon grow to loath this, I'm sure)! Whenever we want to get Lilee to laugh, we ask Keat to do it and he gets right in her face and within minutes, the two of them are cracking eachother up! I love it. My heart just melts to see them bond and grow closer together! He is a big help and such a proud big brother!

This past month we started Lilee on Rice Cereal. She didn't like it so much the first time, but then for about a week she LOVED it...and now we are back to not liking it very much. She still is working out the kinks to spoon feeding, but I am confident that when she gets the hang of that, she will really love the stuff!! We are debating starting her on veggies/fruits but we have the go-ahead from the dr. so we'll do that when it seems right!

Here are some photos of our Little Miss!

Before the FIRST FEEDING!

Not lovin' this stuff!

Christmas Outfit from Aunt Teresa!

Those baby blues!

Daddy and Daughter

RSV=Really Sucky Virus

That pretty much sums up what we've done this past weekend. Lilee had her 4month well baby check on Tuesday of last week. Everything checked out but when they listened to her breathing they noticed she had a slight wheeze. WELL...that slight wheeze turned into a full on breathing CRISIS on Friday evening. OF COURSE it would happen the night that Seth was camping with the scouts...but not even camping...he had hiked 5 miles to the campsite from where they left the cars, so he couldn't get back to his car until the morning when other people came to join the group. Uhhhhg, so thanks to a great friend who took Keat, I ventured to Goodnight Pediatrics. There, they swabbed her nose-pretty much stuck a long Q-tip half a finger up her nose...not fun for a 4 month old-and diagnosed her with RSV! Basically, it is a respiratory virus that in older kids and adults is just a cold/cough. But, in babies 6 months and younger it can be VERY SERIOUS! SO, after her O2 levels all checked out they sent me home with the "reassuring" advice to, "Just watch her and if she stops breathing or begins to turn blue take her back in"! Ahhhh, yeah, if my baby stops breathing I think I'll rush her to the ER, not to GOODNIGHT PEDIATRICS! Idiots! NEways, it was a looooooooooong, sleeepless night, followed by 2 more sleepless nights and here we are...still with difficulty breathing, and LOTS of meds, but a HAPPY little girl who although has developed a great need to be CONTINUOUSLY entertained, has really been such a trooper!! She is showing signs of getting better and I am told that she is no longer contagious. I think we'll still go forth with Keat's birthday party on Saturday, but I am not taking her anywhere until then. RSV=REALLY SUCKY VIRUS!!