Pin Cushions

VS.

All 4 kids received 2 shots each yesterday. We were trying to help out by giving them Tylenol beforehand, but I'm not so sure it helped. You probably heard Maleia's screams from your home. I still believe in immunizing my kids, but I do the extended calendar for my boys that is suggested for preventing autism. I know this is a hot topic and super controversial, but I figure it doesn't hurt him if I do it and it might help him. Who knows?

I have too many friends that have children with autism and so I listen to them. And pray for them. Because that would be hard. I taught children with autism and I was happy to give them back to their parents after 7 hours, though I loved them all dearly. I know their parents loved them too, but they were so grateful that I got them for that time, too. And I had a pediatritian that had a son with autism and he said that the risk of getting the disease you were vaccinating against overruled the risk of getting autism. He wasn't convinced that they were even linked. He has a pharmaceutical degree, PHD is bio chemistry, MD, and did his own research on it. If he doesn't know, then I don't know who would.

Back to talking about my children as pin cushions:

When Maleia woke up this morning, she said, "I think my arm is broken."
Me: "Does your arm still hurt? It's probably just the shots."
Maleia: "No, I think the shots broke my arm."

Dylan: "This Bandaid is hurting my arm, mom."
Me: "I think it's the shots, buddy. Do you want me to take it off, though?"
Dylan: "No, it will make it hurt worser. Next time can we bring our own Bandaids?"

Haley: "Don't touch my arm. It has the flu."

Hot Tire

Dylan - (pointing to a toy car) "Mom is this a hot tire?"
Me - "I don't know. Feel it and see if it's hot."
Dylan - "No mom. Is it a hot tiiiiire."
Me - "Huh? Oooooooh. No, it's not a hot tire, it's a Hot Wheel."

Haley - says "unrase" for erase
says "tew-kip" for Qtip
And do I correct her? No way. :)

Dylan - "Are we going to keep Logan when we go back to Hungary?"
Me - "Of course buddy! He's part of our family."
Dylan - "But mom, he doesn't have a bed or a room or toys."
Me - "We will definitely figure it out when we get home."
Dylan - "Okay, I will keep it a secret so he won't be sad."

Maleia - (bringing me her inside out footie jammies) "Mommy, can you inside these out for me?"

Dylan - "Mommy, am I still 3?"
Me - "Yes sweetie."
Dylan - "But mom, I feel older today."

Let's Get It Started In Here

I just listened to a few of my running songs. What does that mean? YES, I am running again! Woohoo. But I have a long way to go, my friends. . . and I think I wet myself as I ran. Thank goodness for super pads.

So, who wants to be my virtual workout buddy? I don't know how it would work, but I have to lose 17 pounds and need some extra motivation... I am also playing in a volleyball tournament in 3 weeks, so I want to be in some sort of better shape. I just had a baby 4 weeks ago. Am I being unrealistic here?? I mean, it's a UVU Alumni match. I have to do sorta well against those 18 year olds that play 5 hours a day. Yes, I might make a fool of myself.

I'm being pretty vague on my goals, but I'm pretty competitive, so I think I will push myself somewhat. I just got some new shoes and my sister has a Garmin watch, so I am excited to get my body movin.

My goals this week: (STARTED MONDAY)

1. Work out 6 times a week for at least 30 min. a day
2. Lose 2 pounds
3. Every night: stretch, 15 push ups, 50 sit ups, plyometrics
_______________________________________

My Work outs

Monday - Used the stationary bike for 40 minutes
Tuesday - Did a 20 minute cardio workout video and rode the stationary bike for 15 min.
Wednesday - Ran 2.8 miles in 25 min. Walked 5 min. to cool down. (Hey, it's a start!)
Thursday - Played volleyball for 1 1/2 hours
Friday - slacker!
Saturday - big time slacker!
Sunday - weigh in : lost _2_ pounds... what up!!

reality sets in

I brushed a child's teeth, helped a child in the shower, took another one potty, and quizzed another with her spelling words all within 10 minutes of each other and ALL while breastfeeding. I need a virtual pat on the back right now.

Oh, and if another person asks me if we are wanting another child, I'll... I'll... I'm not sure what I'll do to them, but I'm sure it will be something gruesome... like an evil stare while pretending I had lasers shooting out or something utterly evil like that.

Maleia, give me FIVE!!

Maliea-isms
lasterday - for yesterday
spitting out - for spitting up
Old Macdonalds - for McDonalds
fruit throw up - for fruit rollup
Burber King - for Burger King
Cafo Rio - for Cafe Rio
Yo-gun - for Logan

What? Where did the years go? And so my sweet little Maleia isn't quite so little anymore. It drives me nuts how my kids won't obey when I tell them that they need to stay little. What's the deal? Maleia is my sweet little imp. She is gaining more and more independence and showing me (more like surprising me) with all that she can do. From swimming to her mad gaming skills, she is rocking my world. What other 5 year old can get a 184 on Wii bowling?? And she gets to the banana level on Ms. Pacman. The boys are going to ADORE her!

She is quite the charmer and usually can get away with things just because she is sneaky like that and way too cute to get into trouble. Oooo, watch out for her tricky ways!

She has announced that she no longer wants bangs, so this year we are going to work on growing them out. I'm just glad that after her "cutting episode" of her own hair, she realizes that cutting them completely off is no longer an option.

Maleia loves school and is excited to go to Kindergarten once we go back to Budapest. She is going to a preschool here, but not full time. She misses the cutoff date by 18 days to go to Kindergarten in the States and even misses the cutoff date for AISB (the International School that Haley attends) so she will be going to a Christian school (Greater Grace) for this school year since their cutoff date is in October. She is so ready for Kindergarten it almost pains me to see her watch Haley go to school every day. Next year, when we are in our new location, if she has to repeat Kindergarten because of her age, I am just fine with that, but she needs to go to school this year. She would be bored to tears! She is reading sight word books and thrives on a regimented schedule.

If it's too quiet around the house, I never have to fear that she is into something, but I know that she is either creating something new or pretending. Her brother makes a fickle friend when it comes to all the girlie stuff, but she has learned to make him some sort of a macho character and to keep him entertained by having him race, giving him cars/trains/guns/swords as props, or fight off some dastardly imaginary people.

Almost on an hourly basis, she will come up to me and tell me that she loves me. She has to remind me to give her a morning/noon/afternoon/goodnight hug and kiss. even if I already gave her one. She will be telling me a story and then randomly ask, "And you know what, mom? I love you." It seriously makes me melt every time and reminds me to tell her that I love her all day long as well. I would have to say that her loving personality is her strongest character trait.

She seriously can't get enough of Logan. I remember when we had Dylan and we couldn't keep her off of him, and she hasn't grown out of it now that we have Logan. I am constantly reminding her to not kiss his face and to give him some space. The first thing in the morning, she has to go and check on Logan and the last thing at night she has to give him a kiss goodnight. What a GREAT sister!

She loves anything girlie and would wear a skirt every day if she could get away with it. Look at that pose!

We went to the Discovery Center in SLC and she spend the majority of the time at the play house.

She loved her swim lessons with Chelsea.

She is becoming quite the dare devil and loves to try new things.

She still loves pigs and anything to do with pigs. She also loves her polly pockets. It is a little sad that she is out of the adoring princess stage, but she's at least not embarrassed to sport them.

I am glad that she isn't out of the dress-up stage yet!

Those dimples still kill me! She is one of the happiest kids I know and so we get to see these adorable dimples, aka "triple threat," daily.

We'll see what sports she likes to play. . . probably the ones that you can wear a dress or a skirt while playing.

She has learned the art of jumping on the trampoline this summer.

She is a little trooper as we get to travel all over and see new things.

Can you believe this was Maleia two years ago??
Wow. She's grown up a ton since we moved overseas.

Big B & "the ring"

Look at that handsome man.

9 years ago today I took B out to dinner for his birthday to Tepanyaki, then dropped him back off at his apartment because I was in charge of a leadership conference at UVSC. I told him I would be back in an hour. Well, I knew that I was conducting the meeting just at the beginning, but one of the teachers didn't show, so I had to teach a class and then I wasn't aware that I also had to close the meeting as well. THREE hours later, I show up at B's apartment and found him beside himself in what I thought was anger. (Come to find out he was really just nervous. . . and maybe some light annoyance.)

I walked into his kitchen and notice a peculiar number on his wall. After noticing the 011 in front of the long number I mention, "That's an international number!" I look closer and see a 52, "That's a Mexico number!" Since JR (one of B's roommates) went to Mexico on his mission, I didn't think very much of it until I recognized the rest of the number, "That's my parent's phone number!" I looked at B confused and he mumbled that my brother (who was living with me at the time and hung out with these boys quite often) had needed it and wrote it on the white board. It made sense. B changed the subject and asked me where we were going next. I told him I was taking him up the canyon, stood up to walk out the door with him, and realized he was carrying an orange cooler. I asked him why we were bringing the cooler and his lengthy response was, "I'm bringing some drinks." Since I was TWO HOURS late and was trying to smooth it over, I didn't pry any more and responded, "Great! Let's go!"

We trekked up the canyon in my new '01 Gold 4 Runner, my favorite car I have owned so far might I add, and found a good picnic spot along the Provo River at Glen Park. He, of course, had his cooler and after a few songs on the guitar, he broke out the Martinelli's. (Sparkling Apple Juice... aka: Mormon champagne.) He poured it into two clear glasses and we sat there drinking and talking until I was too cold to hold my drink anymore. He offered to help me drink mine, and when he drank the rest of it, he started playing with the ice in my cup and looked at me with a peculiar look on his face. I thought he was thinking about throwing ice at me, or putting it down my shirt, so I said, "Don't even think about it!" He responded with a shocked look on his face, "What? I was just going to throw, um, some ice into the river." And with that, he threw a few pieces in to the river. Then he reached into the glass again with that same playful look in his eye and I got a little worried again. (Hey! It was COLD!) I was not about to let him come near me with that ice, so I again exclaimed, "Don't you dare!" And I quickly grabbed the glass and chucked the ice into the river.

He gasped. It wasn't a little gasp, but a gasp like someone nearly got hit by a car. "I didn't throw the glass in the river. It's right here," I defended myself holding the glass up so he can see it. His response made ME gasp. "It's not the glass I am worried about, it what was inside the glass." He said 'inside' with a slight grin and then it hit me. I looked at him for a brief moment as his eyes were searching the area. "What was inside the glass, B?" I think I already knew. He looked defeated as he told me, "It was a ring."

I don't know if I screamed, but I dove toward the river in the direction where I threw the ice. B practically had to tackle me to prevent me from going into the river. After a few moments in shock, I could eventually hear him trying to tell me something. "It wasn't the real ring," I finally heard him say. I turned around and found him on one knee and he sheepishly said, "Well, I no longer have a ring, but will you marry me?" Now it was my turn to tackle him. I kissed him and responded, "Of course I will," and then realized that he was going to ask me to marry him without the "real ring." What the?? I now had some mixed feelings. Apparently he froze a Russian CTR ring in an ice cube and was trying to get the ice cube to melt so that I can see it... at 10pm. Crazy, but cute boy.

He either knew me well enough not to pull this kind of a stunt on me with a real ring or he just didn't think about how he was going to buy a real ring, but either way, I am really glad that it wasn't the real ring and that he still had the guts to ask me after I foiled his plans.

So I like to say that on his 22nd birthday he got the best birthday present he could ever get. Me. But, to make this even sappier than it already is, I think really this was just his only birthday where I got a better present than he did. I got you babe!

Happy Birthday!!!

B is a GREAT daddy and I laugh (almost to tears) thinking how we BOTH wanted 11 children before we had our first. I think we were both a little mental.

He still knows how to make everyone laugh.

He loves me and can take me to the temple.
(This was two days before Logan was born at the Salt Lake Temple.)

He loves his family and sacrifices for us so that we can be happy.
What a man.

Big D #3

Dylan is THREE today!! Yippee!

His funny words as of late are:
"lazagna" - for "the sauna"
"Woah-gun" - for "Logan"
"opa-meal" - for "oatmeal"
"hanatizer" - for "hand sanitizer"

Just look at that handsome happy boy!
(@ Monticello)

The last day of preschool this past May.
He knows his full name, his birthday, the ABC's and can count to 13. (the teens screw him up...) ;) He has been potty trained since April (even at night) and hasn't regressed at all. He will attend preschool in Utah for 2 months and then will start up preschool in Hungary again in January... if his teacher can get her act together by then.

We are working on not making a mockery of prayers or to not to say "I'm sorry" in a grouchy, fast, or squeaky voice. (The little stinker.) He likes to say them in a goofy way or with some crazy inflection in his voice just to get a rise out of his sisters. It's hard not to laugh.

He still loves Thomas the Train, Cars (the movie), and also playing with cars and trains. He is into watching Hi-5 and Alvin & the Chipmunks.

We are thinking he might be left handed... I'm not positive, but we are watching him closely and I am trying not to fight his left handed tendencies. He for sure bats left handed... we'll see.

He is a super older brother. Sure, he had me a little worried since he would throw a fit and whimper if I held another baby. He was also pretty jealous of the attention I would give any other kid besides him, but with Logan, Dylan has been completely different. He actually WANTS me to hold Logan and suggests that I "do something" when Logan cries. Dylan gets way more uptight when Logan cries than I do. He can't stand to see Logan sad.

We went to the Weber County Fair and Dylan was pretty sad to find out that this pig was sold and was going to die and become food. (Thanks to Maleia and Haley for explaining this to him.) He was mourning with him before being given to his "mean man who bought him." (According to Dylan.)

This is a normal sleeping position for him. He kicks off all the covers and we have found him kneeling on the ground with his head on the bed, having both feet on the wall with his head on the bed, and various seemingly uncomfortable positions.

This was the last picture that I took that he had those big cheeks. sigh. I know he is a big boy now that his cheeks don't jiggle when he runs. So sad, but I love to see him grow up and try new things. He is so adventurous and rough and tumble. He is loving and caring and just plain old happy.

I love this big boy!

Here's to another year full of adventure!!

Logan Scott Chapman

LOGAN SCOTT CHAPMAN

The relieved daddy.

The grateful mommy.

The happy couple with baby #4!

Logan's oldest sister/Mom #2, Haley.

Logan's other sister/ Mom #3, Maleia.

Logan's older brother/playmate/tormentor, Dylan.

Do we really have FOUR kids??!

The whole Chapman clan.
B wants to add "so far" to the end of this...
I'm not so sure.

Leaving the hospital.

The birth story was pretty mellow, just the way we like it, and as normal as you can get. The pre-birth story is what makes it amazing. . . At 6 weeks pregnant, I go in to have my first appointment with my OBGYN that will deliver me here in Utah. Living in Hungary, the US Embassy gives us a choice to either deliver in Vienna (2 hours away), London (and have to leave 6 weeks before I am due), or chose a place in the States (and leave 6 weeks before I am due.) This was a no-brainer for us. Since we didn't want a 2 hour commute to conflict with a potential emergency and we don't know anyone in London to chill with for 6 weeks, we decided a free trip home to deliver in the state where the most babies are born per capita was the smartest idea. Utah KNOWS babies!! Plus, we have family here. Tons and tons of awesome family. My sister even volunteered her home to us and even finished her basement just so that we can have more space and feel more at home. Now THAT is love I tell you.

Okay, so at my first appointment here in UT, they did an ultrasound and the normal bloodwork to find out that my growth hormone is rock bottom. The doctor mentioned that this could be a possibility of three things: 1. It will eventually go back up and there will be no worries. 2. My baby will just be small. or 3. Trisomy 18. (Don't look it up, or do, but either way it's SCARY!) Basically it's a chromosomal deficiency where the baby grows to full term, but can only survive a few hours to a few days outside the womb. So the doctor wanted me to take the Triple Screen to see my odds. So off to London for testing...

The results of the tests, surprise surprise, were bad. The doctor said that there is an 80% chance that my baby will have Trisomy 18 and 20% chance that my baby will just be small, but they won't know until the 20 week ultrasound or we can do an invasive Amniocentesis to get for sure results now, but there is a 20% chance of miscarriage from the Amnio. We vetoed the idea of an Amnio and definitely didn't want to have an abortion (the clinic was next door to the best abortion clinic in London apparently) so we decided to just wait until the 20 week ultrasound.

At 20 weeks, and after a lot of fasting and prayer, we were off to London again. This time I wasn't by myself and B was able to tag along for "moral support" and apparently also for a body guard... but that is for another blog post. ;) We went in for the ultrasound and after the tech took all the measurements, the Scottish doctor came in with almost tears in his eyes and hugged us both and congratulated us that the baby looked great and that there was no sign of Trisomy 18. "You beat the odds!" He said and then told us, "We aren't like those Americans. Go out and celebrate!! Get a glass of champagne and a bottle of wine and really enjoy yourselves tonight!" (all in his awesome Scottish accent.) Too bad we don't drink. I did tell B that it was doctor's orders. . . You should have seen the look he gave me. ;)

So I kept going to my appointments in Hungary and the doctor there kept scaring me to death about the size of my baby and how my growth hormone was still at rock bottom, but my American OBGYN that we sent the results to was disinterested in the size and was just grateful that the baby was proportionate. Her calming words rang in my mind nightly, "I deliver babies that small all the time and they end up being just fine."

God bless America! ... On Monday, August 23rd, we arrived at the McKay-Dee hospital in Ogden, UT at 7am for an induction. I stopped growing 2 weeks prior, so the doctor wanted to just get this baby out. She wasn't too worried, but knew that I don't go into labor by myself anyway, so she felt good about an induction. We waited until B arrived (thank goodness the baby did too!) and planned around B's aunt Denise's schedule so she can be there as well. They started me on pitocin... and we waited and waited and waited... and waited. I got an epidural when the contractions got pretty strong, but it didn't work on the front half of my body. And I was TOTALLY fine with that since I could feel the pressure still and the pain I felt was only 1/4 or less of what I would have felt otherwise. At around 6:30pm, almost 12 hours later, I wanted to push and the doctor said I was fully dilated, so we called B to get his booty up to the room (he went to go eat something after my prodding and assurance that it would probably be a while) and he made it just in time for my three pushes to get this baby out. Easy. I do love those uneventful birth stories... especially when they are my own. :)

We were blessed with a healthy baby, Logan Scott Chapman, on August 23rd at 6:55pm. He was 5 lbs. 15 oz., and 20 inches long. He is small, but mighty! I can already tell he will be a leader, maybe even president some day. Just kidding, but we are grateful that he is here and that the worries of the past are simply that: in the past. Now if I can only get my kids to stop kissing Logan!! Now I have to worry about him getting sick... such is a life of a mom.

Maleia loves her daddy

Maleia woke up this morning at 7:30 and came into my room and told me that she had a dream. I asked her about it and she said:

We went to the airport to pick up daddy and we were all mixed up. We had to drive around and around and someone stole our spot, so we just drove our car into the airport and parked. Haley and I was trying to find daddy while you were sitting down on some chairs with Dylan, but we finally got to see daddy because he was walking to us on the stairs. I ran to him and jumped to him from the stairs. I slipped because I had my flip flops on and he caught me! That's where I talked to him and hugged him really tightly and that is kind of how it ends. I miss daddy.

Then she said:

Mom, are you going to cry when you have the baby? Because that is what moms do. And mom, if you are really scared when you have the baby, you can bring us and we can hold your hands. Daddy can hold one hand, Haley can hold your other hand, Dylan can sit on your lap, and I can hold Daddy's other hand. OR the nurses can just hold your hand so daddy can be with us while you have the baby!

This is a pic of B and Maleia in the Budapest Airport the day we arrived.