Friday, September 3, 2010

What?! It's been how long?? How time flies.

WOW!! I thought it had been just a couple of months since I had updated. HA!! It's been 12!! We are doing well as a family. Caraline is growing quickly and is too smart for her own good. I guess I should start this out in more of an update mode.
Kyle is still working for the Las Vegas Sun as a reporter. He works Tuesday - Saturday. He enjoys what he does but is always looking for a better job that would give him the opportunity to focus more on his passions than what he is assigned. He has been working there for just over 2 years.
I am still working for the St Rose Dominican Hospitals. I am a float pool nurse (same as before). I typically work 2 days a week and spend the rest of my time with Caraline.
Yup . . . same old same old. . . except for Caraline.
Caraline is growing quickly and changing day by day. When she was a couple of months old, her Pediatrician and her Cardiologist were concerned because she was so long and skinny. She wasn't gaining weight as fast as they would like, and quickly plummeted to less than 0.05% on the weight charts. She was getting taller and her head was staying on it's "curve", but her weight just wasn't up to par. As her Mom, and a nurse, I felt like she was getting plenty to eat and her diapers were how they should be, but I knew she looked really skinny. So we started keeping track of everything she was eating and details about her diapers. We saw several specialists to try to figure out what was wrong. Caraline was developing normally, but was really skinny. Finally, just before her 1st birthday, we were able to see a geneticist who told us Caraline has a connective tissue disorder. This explained her hyper-flexibility and why she wasn't gaining enough weight even though she was eating plenty and then some. It takes twice as much energy for Caraline to move due to the hyper-stretching of her tendons and ligaments. This has not slowed our little girl down. Caraline hasn't stopped moving since the day she was born!! We have been teaching her sign language. Her first clear sign was please, followed by more and then food. So her favorite thing to say now is "more food please!" She has been lots of fun and keeps us on our toes!! (See pictures and slide show below.)


My first dress at 1 month old.

My favorite napping place :)

3 months old napping with Great Grandma Hansen

This is going to be a GREAT day!!

Uncle Sam has LOTS of hats. This is my first one.

Say CHEESE!!!

My first marshmallow. . .
yes the whole thing fit in my mouth.
Practicing to win chubby bunny :)

My first Christmas. . . wonder what is inside??

Oreos?!? What oreos?!? I'm not sure I've ever had one.

Dear cousin Adam, you may be 1/2 my age and twice my weight, but I can still pick you up!!

Razzleberry pie anyone??
My favorite chew toy!!! I've got it mastered Mom.
Now just wait for the teeth and I'll have a reason to use it!

HA!! You told me the lion was going to eat me.
Well, I'll show him who's boss around here!!

The shopping cart says I should be at least 15 lbs to sit like this.
It's going to take me a long time to get there at this rate.
You think this hat makes me look bigger than I am?

Track meet with the with my second family, the Odells.
This looks like it's going to be a close race. RUN FASTER!!

Really!?! That's quite interesting. Tell me more.

Trip to Yosemite. It was cold and raining, but
I was snug as a bug in a rug, and didn't get wet.
We wondered why we kept getting funny looks.

Do I look like a Yosemite Ranger??
Look out Smokey the Bear. . . someday I'll be you!!

HA HA!!! Dad, I got to the front seat first.
I'll drive the rest of the way to Grandma and Grandpa Hansen's.
Raggedy Ann will help me.

My first Easter egg hunt. Dad is holding
the basket that they say is for the rest of the
eggs. . . I'm good with just this one.
Nap time with Dad.

Nap time with Grandpa Crook after his surgery.
We took a lot of naps together that trip.

I made breakfast in bed for Dad for his birthday.
We ate it together in the bed.
Then I helped Mom wash the sheets.
Next time we'll eat in the bathtub!
1st Birthday Cake
Now what am I supposed to do??
Isn't this what I was supposed to do with my birthday cake?!?
Kisses anyone??
My first sucker. . . and I'm sure not my last :)