Thursday, December 23, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Family Home Evening

Last night Matt made pot stickers and I made fried rice for our Kimball Family Home Evening.  We had Momma Kimball, DJ, Kristy and Omar over for FHE.  The food turned out pretty good, but not as good as when we did pot stickers with Sarah and Mark.  Matt made the wonton wrappers from scratch and they weren't quite right, but we will perfect the recipe, oh yes, we will.

It was nice to have the Kimballs over to our house, as we have been gathering at Momma Kimball's so much lately.  Even though I love going to Momma Kimball's, it is a little small to accommodate large crowds and Nicole has a difficult time with crowds in general.  She has a little overcrowded anxiety.

We fed everyone last night and then I made them play games with me because you can't come over and eat my food and not play a game with me.  Games are my payment for food.  So, we played spinner and it was a lot of fun.  Nicole even sat at the table in her booster seat, playing with her own game while we played ours.  Usually, she is running around, causing a ruckus and driving me crazy, but she was such a good little girl.

Then, we played Boggle (one of my favorite games) and I totally annihilated the Kimballs.  It made me happy to be the best finder of words.  That is probably why Matt won't play Boggle with me very often.

Friday, December 17, 2010

So Blessed

When things didn't work out with Matt's old job during the summer, we were crushed. We didn't know what to do. We didn't know how we were going to pay our mortgage, and we didn't know what we were going to do next. So, we prayed about what to do and where we should go with our lives.

Matt and I came to the decision that he should go back to school, be a full-time Daddy, and that I would work. We felt like this was the right decision for us. We also were trying to get pregnant as we had decided many months previously that we wanted another child. We moved forward with these plans, though they were not the ideal situation.

I love being a stay at home Mommy. I love spending time with my child and I thought (after my last pregnancy) that I would never again have to work while suffering through pregnancy. Sometimes the things that we think are the right thing for us, are not always the right thing.

In many ways, Matt and I have realized (already) that the things that happened to us this summer and the decisions that we made after that were all to teach us something and to bless our lives. Even though the decision to go back to work (and school for Matt) was not an easy one and even though we loved our roles before the switch, we have discovered that everything has a purpose.

Because Matt has been home with Nicole, he was also able to spend more time with his Dad and help out his Mom these last few months. This was a great blessing that he had the flexibility to do this. Matt is really loving his classes and his new major. The ability to decide on a major (after many years of not knowing what he wanted to do if he went back to school) was easy and has turned out to be a good decision as it is something he really enjoys.

My new job has not only been something that I enjoy, but it pays for all of our needs, is closer to home than Matt's previous job, and my hours are flexible so that we can switch off taking care of Nicole so that Matt can attend classes. This is also a better situation than we could have expected.

We found out that I was pregnant a few days after I accepted my new job and I thought that working while pregnant at a brand new job would be difficult, but it has turned out really well. I'm not nearly as sick with this pregnancy as I was with my last one and I can function at work normally without a lot of pain and discomfort. I am very grateful that this pregnancy is easy. Additionally, my work has agreed to hold my job for me and let me work from home when the baby comes (something they are not legally required to do). Originally, we did not know what we would do when the baby came, but just a couple weeks ago, I worked out an agreement with my employer.

We also recently found out that we will be getting money in the coming year that we did not expect to get. This money will help us pay off our car, and all of our credit card debt while still having some left over to put aside for when the baby is born. This is really what floors me. We really didn't think we would be able to get out of debt next year with a baby coming and all.  In fact, with me leaving work for 6 weeks when the baby comes, we weren't sure how we would meet all of our bills. Then, this week, we got the news that we would be getting this money next year and it was truly an answer to our prayers.

This is just a testament to Matt and I that Heavenly Father loves us. That even though we are faced with trials and heartache, we will still be taken care of if we follow the guidance of the spirit. It has definitely not been an easy year as we were faced with no income, a new baby, and a death in the family, but after all the trials we are really very happy. Every trial we face is there to challenge us to be better, to be more faithful, and to find a greater happiness.

Matt and I can only conclude that the decisions that we made this year (school, work, and baby) have all been a part of Heavenly Father's plan for us and I am so grateful that we have made good choices (thus far). Next year will be full of new adventures, I am sure, but I go forward with faith that things will turn out and that we will be happy.

See Our Journey This Year
Happy News: Happy and Sick, It's a Boy
New Challenges: Starting Over, New Job
Summer Distress: Difficult to Say, Allergies, On the Hunt
Times of Bliss: Vegas Vacation, She's One, Birthday 26

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Mommy, You're Funny

Just in the last couple days Nicole has started communicating a lot better. She has started talking in sentences and is able (most of the time) to express what she wants or needs.

My favorite thing that she is says right now is, "Mommy, you're funny." Sometimes when I am being silly for her or just tickling her, she will say this to me and it makes me so happy because she knows what funny is, and she has finally realized that yes, I AM funny.

We are hoping that this boost in using words will lessen the amount of meltdowns that she has in a day. Instead of melting down when she needs something, now she can tell us, "Daddy, help you!" (which means that she wants daddy to help her). Yesterday she was trying to turn on and off the humidifier and she couldn't get it to turn off, so she said, "Daddy do it." This may seem like a simple thing to say, but it is a big step for her to actually let us know what she wants.

She is just too stinking cute right now, I just can't get enough of her. Someday when I actually find the cord that connects my camera to my computer, I will post some pictures of my beautiful girl.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Getting Back to Everyday

It was a busy weekend with a lot of family coming in for the funeral and Matt helping his mom with funeral arrangements. 

Saturday Matt was doing funeral preparation, so I had to clean the house for Sunday, when all the family would be congregating at our home. Marie was kind enough to come and help me get things clean and ready. It is always good to have Marie as a helper cleaner because her level of clean is much cleaner than my level of clean. The house ended up looking great.

Sunday, Matt and I woke up feeling sick (colds) but we went to church and it was a good thing we did. Nursery was super full with 15 kids this week. Most weeks we have between 8-10 and it isn't that bad, but those extra 5 kids make it all the more hectic. I was very impatient and was about ready to shout at children who were misbehaving. We only have these kids for two more weeks, then we will get a whole new group of children. Some of the kids I will miss, but others I am happy to see move on!

Sunday night we had about 30 people over at our house to mingle and eat. A whole heap of Kimballs and Aguileras were there. It was good that we were all able to be together in a casual setting before the funeral, even though it was a bit of work for Matt and I, we were happy to do it.

Monday was the funeral. It was an emotional day. But, Momma Kimball picked a great funeral home that took care of everything and we didn't have to worry about anything. It all went very smoothly and the service was very a good tribute to Dad Kimball and his life. Matt did especially well as he spoke during the service.

My Mom and Dad were there, which was great because they watched Nicole for us during the service. Then, Sarah and Mark took her home for her nap and took care of her for us so that we could go to the graveside and luncheon.

Momma Kimball's ward is wonderful. They set up this whole luncheon for family members and it was just so nice to have a meal as a family and not have to worry about the food or the clean up or anything. I was really touched by how loving the ward could be even though Momma Kimball has only been in the ward for a couple of months. It is just another testament to how inspired the church is in its fundamentals.

Marie and my Mom went and took over watching Nicole so that Sarah could go to work and Matt and I could take Momma Kimball home.

Thanks to all the family and friends that have been supportive at this time. Matt and I really appreciate it. We feel your love and your prayers for us. Now that the funeral is over, we can now move forward and get back to the everyday. We are still sad and still grieving, but we have the peace that comes with knowing that things will be okay, and that the sadness will not last forever.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Dad Kimball

Ralph (Dad) Kimball died Wednesday, December 8th of complications from cancer. He will be very missed. All of us in the family feel peaceful about his passing and are grateful that his 8 year battle with cancer will no longer pain him.

The funeral will be held on Monday, December 13th at 11am in Provo, UT. I will post the exact address if anyone feels like they want to come.

We are all very grateful for the Lord and his divine plan that allows us to be families forever. Though we are all sad right now, we know that Dad is okay, that he is happy and surrounded by people who love him. We know that we will see Dad again. This is not the end, but merely a brief separation.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Dad Kimball

Tried to go and see Dad Kimball last night, but I came at a bad time and was unable to see him.  He has a full oxygen mask all the time now and is having a lot of trouble breathing.  We thought he was looking better, but yesterday things seemed to get worse with his breathing.

He was moved back to the Intermediate Care floor at midnight last night.  This is a good thing because he gets better care on that floor.  On the Oncology floor there are a lot of patients for the amount of nurses.  When he was on the Intermediate care floor before, there was one nurse for every two patients, so he had a lot more attention.

I will try again to see him today.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Socks and Wipes

Just the last couple of days, when we have put Nicole down for her naps, we find that she has been getting into things in her room.  We don't keep a lot of things in her room.  Just a box of toys, her books, the diaper changing stuff, and a dresser with her clothes in it.

Two days ago I put Nicole down for her nap, which she always takes, and after about 20 minutes I went in to check on her.  She was surrounded by wipes in her bed.  She had pulled all the wipes out of the box and brought them to her bed and fell asleep with them.  I don't know how she could stand the smell of them when she was sleeping, but it was the first time she had done this so I laughed, cleaned up the wipes and put the box in the drawer so she wouldn't get into them again.

The next day, Matt put her down for her nap and went in to check on her after 20 minutes and she was surrounded by wipes, again, and all the contents of her top drawer (socks and pajamas).  Apparently, she knows how to get the wipes out of the drawer.  Matt took everything off the bed and threw it on the floor.  When I went to wake her later, all the clothes were back on the bed.  She had woken up, moved everything back to the bed and had gone back to sleep.  What a weirdo.

Last night, I put Nicole down for the night and went to check on her 30 minutes later and she was still awake, and her bed was covered with all of the clothes from all of the drawers. I threw everything on the floor and left her again.  I would not be surprised if all the clothes made their way back to the bed.

I'm not sure if she is doing this because she can, because she really wants her clothes with her while she sleeps, or to show us that she is upset about being put in her bed.  I just hope that it is all a phase.  I don't like refolding laundry again and again.

Monday, December 06, 2010

Kimball Extended Update

Last weekend seemed like the weekend of hospitals... again.  First, Grandma (Nedra) Kimball (Matt's Grandma) broke her hip and was in the hospital for surgery.  Then, Dad (Ralph) Kimball's cold that he got early in the week quickly turned to pneumonia and he went into the hospital on Friday.

Matt has been back and forth to the hospital all weekend.  I went with him on Saturday while Marie and Anthon watched Nicole for us (kids aren't allowed in the Intermediate Care unit).  They have Dad Kimball on antibiotics and a nebulizer for the pneumonia, but since he has lung cancer, it was really not a good thing to get pneumonia.  He seemed to be in good spirits (though it may have been because Momma Kimball had brought him some delicious See's hard candy). 

Since Saturday, they have moved him out of Intermediate care, to the Oncology floor.  I am taking this as a good sign.  He is no longer in quarantine, so we can finally bring Nicole with us to the hospital and we no longer have to wear masks to his room. They are keeping Dad until the middle of this week at least and we will just have to see from there.

Grandma Kimball's surgery went well and she will be released today or tomorrow.

I really hate the hospital when I'm going there to visit sick people.  Can't it all be babies and happiness?

I will keep the blog updated on Dad in case any of the Kimball's are reading.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Bad Mommy

There are some times when I just feel like a bad mommy.  Last night was one of those times.

Around 7:30pm last night, Nicole asked for some rice (she refused rice three hours earlier when we were all eating dinner together and she had not yet eaten dinner).  So, I made her up some rice while she sang the rice song "Rice, Rice, I want Rice."

Then, when I went to put her in her highchair, she wouldn't put her feet into the holes and began crying.  She does this a lot, so I did what I always do, I made her sit and put her feet in.  She began crying uncontrollably, and said, "All done!" which is her signal for me to take her out of the high chair.  I thought she was just being difficult, so I tried to entice her to eat her rice to no avail.  Just more crying.

So, I take her out of the highchair and bring her up to my bed for snuggles and cartoons, but she won't stop crying and I don't know what is wrong.  So, I think that maybe she is tired.  I ask her if she wants to go "night night" (which is our signal for bed time).  She said, "okay" (which is what she always says when we've figured out what she wants).

So, I put her in bed, but she is still crying.  I give her kisses and shut the door.  She cries for ten minutes (unlike her at bed time), so I go back in and get her out of bed, but she is still crying.  I bring her back to my bed and snuggle with her, hoping that she will settle down.  She falls asleep next to me.

Matt calls a few minutes later on his way home from school and I tell him this whole story.  He says to check her for bites or hair tourniquets or injuries.  So, I pull off her socks and sure enough, she has cracked one of her toe nails and part of it is falling off (below the quick).

Now I feel like a bad mommy.  I must have done it when I made her sit in her highchair and didn't realize it.  She didn't know how to tell me that she was hurt other than to cry and I didn't know what the crying meant.  So, because I'm pregnant and emotional, now I start crying because I feel like a bad mommy.

I would like to hope that this will get easier as the Nicole's communication skills increase.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Too Annoyed!

I bundle up Nicole in her warm clothes, coat, boots, hat, and make a bottle for her.  I bundle myself up.  I pack a bag for Nicole with toys and things.  I go out to the garage (at 7pm at night), get the stroller out and put Nicole in to go.  I walk, while pushing the stroller, through icey snowy sidewalks, down four houses from us.  Only to discover when I finally get to my destination, a sign on the door of our activities committee chair that says the meeting has been moved to Sunday after church.

I don't even know why I try!  These are the same people who planned a meeting, but failed to tell the location (via email) until after church had started that it was AT THE CHURCH right after church.  But, of course, I don't get email while I am at church, and I didn't find out until we were home and already out of our church clothes.  It is just too frustrating!

These people wonder why committee members don't come to the meetings?  It is because you make it too difficult to come!

Luckily, the ward christmas party is our last event that we are planning and then the bishop is disbanding the committee.  The ward council will now plan all activities.  I will not be sad to see that calling go.  I know it would be really difficult to be a committee chair, but you can't do a crappy job and then complain about everyone else.