Reggie

Chris took Reggie and Duke pheasant hunting. He came back really happy with how well Reggie had done. She had jumped a bunch of pheasants and they had a really good hunt because of her. 

  Just a few days later something really sad and scary happened. Chris and I were sitting on the couch and Rhett was playing on the floor with Duke and Reggie laying nearby. All of the sudden Reggie started screaming and crying. I've never heard a dog make a sound like that. She was running and rolling and flailing all over the place and biting her feet and tail. In her loss of control she knocked Rhett over, and I ran to pick him up. As soon as I had scooped him up off of the floor, Reggie bit my foot. It was clearly an accident, but I was shocked at how painful and scary it was. A few seconds later Reggie's episode ended, and I told Chris that something was really wrong and we needed to take Reggie to the vet. Chris loaded her up and headed to the vet. He said by the time they got there the bed of the truck had a puddle of blood from Reggie's wounds from biting herself during her episode. The vet looked her over thoroughly and couldn't find anything outwardly wrong. After hearing about her symptoms, she told Chris she suspected a brain tumor. :( We ended up having to put our girl down. 

This is my foot the night after this happened. You can tell from the vein tracing that it got pretty infected even though I was on antibiotics within 24 hours. It was really swollen and I couldn't walk on it or fit it in a shoe for a couple of weeks.

This is about a week later…

  It was so sad to loose the first dog I have ever really loved. I'm so grateful for so many things though. I'm grateful that I was able to get to Rhett in time and get him out of harms way. If he would have been in my place, this ordeal would have been 100 times worse. I'm so glad our baby boy is safe. I'm so grateful that Mia was in the other room and didn't see any of this happen. It was really traumatizing, even for Chris and I as adults to witness. I'm so glad she was spared that experience. And I'm honestly really glad that it was me that was bit. Out of all of our family, Reggie and I had a special bond, and I feel so confident that she NEVER would have done anything like this in her right mind. 

  I'm so grateful that we still have our sweet Duke. Duke was so scared when Reggie was having her episode. He ran away and I came and found him after Chris took Reggie to the vet. He was hiding in Chris and my closet in the dark. I tried to reassure him, but he was very somber. Chris didn't come home with Reggie and Duke kept acting kind of down. Chris took him hunting with him a few days later, and said that they saw a dog who looked a bunch like Reggie and Duke took off after the dog. Chris tried to call him back over and over, but Duke kept running. He got up close to the other dog, and realized it wasn't Reggie and came sadly back to Chris. It's sad seeing Duke missing his buddy, especially since it must be so confusing to Duke. We're glad we still have him though.

  I'm so grateful to have had a dog who was so sweet and patient with my kids. As a baby, Rhett would often poke Reggie's eyes, or pull her ears or tail out of curiosity. Reggie was always so patient and just laid there and let him explore. Mia loved to play with Reggie and a few times told me that Reggie was her best friend. Mia would often tell Reggie to sit and then use her as a step stool to climb up on the couch or sit on her for a ride. Reggie would always cooperate with Mia's demands. She made me feel safe and protected when Chris had to be out of town and she put my mind at ease when she was out in the yard with Mia when Mia wanted to play outside and I had a few things to get done around the house and didn't want to sit outside too long. I really loved her and am so grateful for the time we had with her.

Rhett's 2nd Birthday

Happy 2nd birthday to my little baby bud! Why is time so rude!?! I remember being younger and hearing the moms tell their kids to stop growing and thinking, "I'll never say that. I think it would be so fun to watch your baby/kid go through new stages." But now I totally get it. It is so fun to watch my kids grow and experience new things and stages, but Motherhood is like constantly feeling torn between being so excited about and in LOVE with the stage your child is in now, but having had nowhere N E A R enough of the last stage. And now it's gone forever. It's the happiest thing ever that just slips right through your fingers. I'm just trying my best to soak up every precious moment of this sweetest boy!

We got Rhett this T-ball set for his birthday, and he was immediately ready to start swinging. Chris helped him the first time, and after seeing what it did, Rhett had the hugest smile on his face and told daddy "own!". So crazy that our baby boy is old enough to want to do things on his own…:,( But so fun and exciting too :) We love you so so much Rhett boy!

We took the trailer to Lava Hot Springs with Cambria and Ron and had the funnest time. Chris thought it would be fun to dunk in the freezing creek we were camping by. Not sure why, but it was funny :)

They climb in the bath together about everyday.

Chris has been duck hunting like crazy this season.

Mia and Rhett got into my makeup

Mia woke up, got herself dressed, and put on a wrap with a baby in it. It was so cute to see her come up like this.

Found Rhett helping himself to some yogurt 

Rhett

Rhett's vocabulary is really starting to explode lately. Some of my favorite things he says are sorry, boat, thank you, mee (for please and also for sippy), mingy (for binky and for blanket/blanky), tozy (cozy), night, yuv oo (love you), song! (he loves for me to sing him to sleep), why? (all day everyday), help me, happy!, milk, "sup dude" (every time he puts on a hat or glasses). He says most names. Ever since Halloween he's been saying "spoooooky" whenever he sees something scary or when he's walking around being a ghost. Whenever he sees pictures of babies he says "Baby! ooie!" (for baby Luis), even if it's a baby picture of himself. He always talks about how there's a "baby! Mommy tummy!" He says blue and orange a lot, but is still nailing down what colors those actually are :). He knows a few animal noises (cow, cat, duck, and anything that says roar!). He loves to look out the windows and point at anything that is flying and say "Shoot! Ducky!" The other day he was in trouble and was in a time out with Chris. In the most exasperated way he said "shoot. me." Chris and I busted up laughing. He loves Scooby Doo and will sing "Scooby! Are you!?" He still sleeps with no less than three binkies, and it's going to break my heart when we have to take them away from him. He has learned how to climb out of his crib and I really thought that would mean the end of all naps, but he only climbs out when he's woken up from and nap and then either plays or bangs on the door while calling us to come get him (he still doesn't know how to open doors, thank goodness! :). He has started to have the sweetest little hug and kiss ritual where he will hug you and kiss you over and over saying "hug! SQUEEZE! mwuah!" I love that, and him so so much! When I'm putting him to bed he loves to say "song on!" and have me lay down and rub his little head (which is something I've always loved to do) while I sing him a few songs. A few week ago I was cooking dinner and had my back turned toward the island while I was working at the stove. I started to turn toward the island and suddenly felt something smack me hard in the chest. I realized it was my baby son who had jumped without me knowing and somehow managed to hold on to me and keep from falling. He has also tried rock climbing on our fireplace. He loves to eat meat, especially hearty meat like steak and bacon and ribs. He's such a little man child and we love his wild craziness with all our hearts.

Mia

"You stinky boys!"

"That's kind of weird, but I still love you!" She said this to me, and I can't remember what it was about, but isn't that the sweetest!?

She put her hair in her face and said "Mom, what do I look like?" I said "Crazy." and she answered "No I look like daddy with hair on my chin!"

In the car listening to music "Come on, hit it gang! This is my jam! I got the moves! I got the car seat moves!"

"Mommy said yes so that's why she has all the love in her heart!"

While playing with her cousins, "Guys, all be nice, like my mommy says. All be nice."

"That's what we used to do when I was a kid."

"Last year I drew marker on my legs so I could be more black like Maui and Moana."

"Go away in the name of the law!"

"I love you with all of my heart!" 

"I love you a whole bunch!"

While we were watching General Conference one of the speakers mentioned something about how when we take the sacrament we are symbolically drinking of Christ's blood. Mia looked at me in disgust and said "Drink he's blood?! That's horrible!!"

"You're the best cooker in the world mom!"

While playing with Rhett and a little doll, "Mom this is our baby Jesus and he's going to save everybody! And I'm Mary and Rhett is Joseph!"

"You guys are the best mom and dad in the whole world!"

About Rhett, "I love him SO bad! REALLY!"

While dancing, "Yeah! You got it baby!"