I just typed a LONG story about my recent medical emergency and decided it was a little too graphic and personal and long winded to share on this blog. I'll put it in my journal instead. Here's the Reader's Digest condensed version: (I'd be glad to give you more details if you're interested:))
I started feeling pain in my lower abdomen on Thursday morning, September 25th. It felt familiar, similar to the pain I had five years earlier with an ovarian cyst. I went to urgent care at the Student Health Center, where they made sure it wasn't appendicitis. The pain intensified quickly, and I threw up several times as it got worse. They gave me a shot of pain medication and sent me to a clinic for an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed a large ovarian cyst, 10 cm across. The Health Center then referred me to the Emergency Room, since the pain medication they had given me wasn't strong enough (I was still in a lot of pain). At the ER, the ObGyn on call said I would have to have surgery since the cyst had grown so large that hormones wouldn't shrink it. They gave me plenty of pain meds before sending me home. :) I got an appointment with an ObGyn (Dr. Thorpe) on Saturday morning, and he said he could perform surgery on Tuesday or Wednesday. Unfortunately, the pain returned and worsened Saturday afternoon, and we went back to the ER. Dr. Thorpe happened to be on call that night, so he decided to perform surgery right away. The last thing I remember was the anesthesiologist giving me a syringe of "happy juice" through my IV to calm me down (I was really nervous for surgery, and so glad Trevor made it to the hospital before they started). Trevor told me some funny stories about what I don't remember doing or saying. I started feeling better right away, and I can honestly say I feel 100% right now.
Tender Mercies (how I know the Lord was watching over us): I had substituted in my old choir classroom on Wednesday the 24th, and I had lots of pumped milk left over, so I didn't have to worry at all about feeding Cassie when we dropped her off to be babysat. Also, two of Trevor's brothers and their wives live in our ward, and they were so good about watching Cassie with a moments notice. AND, when the milk ran out on Saturday night, Cassie took formula without blinking an eye. What a blessing. Also, we just happened upon Dr. Thorpe, since my previous doctor retired after delivering Cassie. I really like Dr. Thorpe, so that's definitely a blessing. My mom was an angel and dropped everything to come stay with me when Trevor had to go to class. We also received two delicious meals from people in the ward. We really are blessed, huh?
Monday, October 6, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Just for Grandma
Cassie has oh-so-wonderful grandmas who see her not-quite-often enough. Here is a blog post just for them, filled with pictures and videos of their little princess.
Proof that Cassie can roll over. She's a champ- 5 seconds is her latest record.
Story time with Daddy: hooray for Sandra Boynton!
Showing off her strong neck muscles during tummy time.
Here is Cassie discovering a new friend in the bathroom mirror.
Trevor is already teaching Cassie how to play the piano. Isn't she good?
When we don't give her a toy, she likes to play with her toes. She's not quite coordinated enough to get them to her mouth, but she tries hard.
Cassie, AKA "The Turbanator," says "Hasta la vista!"
All right, mom. Let's get this show on the road.
Proof that Cassie can roll over. She's a champ- 5 seconds is her latest record.
Story time with Daddy: hooray for Sandra Boynton!
Showing off her strong neck muscles during tummy time.
Here is Cassie discovering a new friend in the bathroom mirror.Trevor is already teaching Cassie how to play the piano. Isn't she good?
When we don't give her a toy, she likes to play with her toes. She's not quite coordinated enough to get them to her mouth, but she tries hard.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Hair...and Fuzz
At last, the long-awaited haircut picture has arrived! Several people have said using a round brush while blow drying is the best way to style swoopy bangs, so I plan to purchase a round brush soon. Also, I'm going back to the salon to have them fix a few things. (They didn't do anything wrong, I was just in a rush to get home, so they didn't have time to style it. After I styled it, I realized I wanted shorter bangs and the rest of my hair thinned.)
As long as you're looking at pictures of my hair, I thought you'd like to look at Cassie's. Well, Cassie doesn't exactly have hair...she has wispy fuzz that sticks straight up. I had a hard time getting a picture of it because it's so light and thin.
Cassie's latest milestone is rolling over! I set her on her back yesterday, left the room for a minute, and when I came back she was having tummy time. Unfortunately, she's not a big fan of tummy time, so she gets upset when she rolls herself over. Here are some of the latest and greatest pictures of our little munchkin:
As long as you're looking at pictures of my hair, I thought you'd like to look at Cassie's. Well, Cassie doesn't exactly have hair...she has wispy fuzz that sticks straight up. I had a hard time getting a picture of it because it's so light and thin.
Cassie's latest milestone is rolling over! I set her on her back yesterday, left the room for a minute, and when I came back she was having tummy time. Unfortunately, she's not a big fan of tummy time, so she gets upset when she rolls herself over. Here are some of the latest and greatest pictures of our little munchkin:
Monday, September 8, 2008
Random Sampler
Today I feel like posting but I'm not sure what to post. So here is an assortment of recent thoughts and news items:
1. I wish I was an eloquent writer. My excuses for being a boring writer (I haven't taken a writing class since 2003! and I graduated from college two years ago! and I taught middle school for the last two years of my life, where the writing is anything but inspiring!) are moot, since many of the people whose writing I admire could make the same excuses. But I want to get better, and I'm excited for a forum to improve: Mommy Salon. Thanks to Alicia and Kristy for inviting me.
2. I cut my hair. It's really not much shorter or more layered than my last haircut, but this time I got bangs. Help! I haven't figured out how to style them yet. Mind you, these are "side bangs," the kind that are supposed to stay effortlessly swept to the side of your face. Any tips?
3. Cassie hit what I think was a growth spurt this weekend. I fed her every hour on Friday and nearly as much on Saturday. Crazy kid! I like her a lot.
4. Trevor and I got married around Christmas time, and as part of a gift basket for our wedding, someone gave us red and green Christmas-tree shaped pasta. I didn't make it after we got married, because, well, it wasn't Christmas season anymore. Then I forgot that it was sitting in our pantry. Months ago, Trevor pointed to it and accused me of being the kind of person that would only make Christmas pasta in December. Well, I WAS the kind of person that would only make Christmas pasta in December...until now! Trevor came home from a meeting on Saturday to find said pasta boiling on the stove. Eat that! (pun intended)
1. I wish I was an eloquent writer. My excuses for being a boring writer (I haven't taken a writing class since 2003! and I graduated from college two years ago! and I taught middle school for the last two years of my life, where the writing is anything but inspiring!) are moot, since many of the people whose writing I admire could make the same excuses. But I want to get better, and I'm excited for a forum to improve: Mommy Salon. Thanks to Alicia and Kristy for inviting me.
2. I cut my hair. It's really not much shorter or more layered than my last haircut, but this time I got bangs. Help! I haven't figured out how to style them yet. Mind you, these are "side bangs," the kind that are supposed to stay effortlessly swept to the side of your face. Any tips?
3. Cassie hit what I think was a growth spurt this weekend. I fed her every hour on Friday and nearly as much on Saturday. Crazy kid! I like her a lot.
4. Trevor and I got married around Christmas time, and as part of a gift basket for our wedding, someone gave us red and green Christmas-tree shaped pasta. I didn't make it after we got married, because, well, it wasn't Christmas season anymore. Then I forgot that it was sitting in our pantry. Months ago, Trevor pointed to it and accused me of being the kind of person that would only make Christmas pasta in December. Well, I WAS the kind of person that would only make Christmas pasta in December...until now! Trevor came home from a meeting on Saturday to find said pasta boiling on the stove. Eat that! (pun intended)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Milestones
Everyone says time flies when you have a new baby, but I would have readily disagreed with that about two months ago at 3 am. Now that Cassie sleeps regularly at night, time is definitely flying. It's crazy to think about how many milestones Cassie has reached in one month! Here are a few.
The bi-annual Cropper family reunion was held at a cabin outside Grace, Idaho a few weeks ago. It was a BIG cabin, but my mom's family is BIGGER. I have 36 cousins, 28 of us are married, and most of us have kids...suffice it to say there were plenty of little ones running around, and lots of people were outside in tents. And now for Cassie's first milestone: sleeping in a cabin full of noisy people just as well as she sleeps at home, (drumroll, please) even with no doors between rooms. She's a champion.
Here she is bundled up for the Cropper family talent show- her first night in the mountains!
She also survived an evening around the campfire, a horse-drawn carriage ride, and a chuckwagon dinner up the canyon.
Another milestone: Cassidy Taja Hawkes is now officially on the records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And she looked stunning in her Aunt Taja's blessing dress, I must say.
We're thinking about dumping the name "tummy time" for a more appropriate description: "fist-sucking time." Let's be honest with ourselves, that's what it really is these days. Here is one of the more impressive displays of fist-sucking: (doesn't it sound like an Olympic sport?)
Cassie has also started talking this month and is quite the conversationalist. She knows how to keep your interest and she isn't afraid to let you know how she really feels. If you're okay with hearing my cheesy baby talk, check out this sample: (she gets a tad grumpy near the end)
Cassie has discovered a new "friend" in the mirror! She gets excited when she sees herself and usually grins...and when her friend grins back, it triggers another grin, etc. We captured it on video:
Can you tell how long and thin she is? She's in the 95th percentile for height and 43rd for weight. Don't ask us how she got to be that shape, it simply baffles us. :) Maybe she'll be a model someday. Check out her latest fashion statement: bunny slippers!
And while we're mentioning milestones, let's just throw out one of Trevor's: current record holder for number of water balloons caught at the traditional Cropper family water balloon launching activity. Seriously, he was amazing.
The bi-annual Cropper family reunion was held at a cabin outside Grace, Idaho a few weeks ago. It was a BIG cabin, but my mom's family is BIGGER. I have 36 cousins, 28 of us are married, and most of us have kids...suffice it to say there were plenty of little ones running around, and lots of people were outside in tents. And now for Cassie's first milestone: sleeping in a cabin full of noisy people just as well as she sleeps at home, (drumroll, please) even with no doors between rooms. She's a champion.
Here she is bundled up for the Cropper family talent show- her first night in the mountains!
She also survived an evening around the campfire, a horse-drawn carriage ride, and a chuckwagon dinner up the canyon.
Another milestone: Cassidy Taja Hawkes is now officially on the records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And she looked stunning in her Aunt Taja's blessing dress, I must say.
We're thinking about dumping the name "tummy time" for a more appropriate description: "fist-sucking time." Let's be honest with ourselves, that's what it really is these days. Here is one of the more impressive displays of fist-sucking: (doesn't it sound like an Olympic sport?)
Cassie has also started talking this month and is quite the conversationalist. She knows how to keep your interest and she isn't afraid to let you know how she really feels. If you're okay with hearing my cheesy baby talk, check out this sample: (she gets a tad grumpy near the end)
Cassie has discovered a new "friend" in the mirror! She gets excited when she sees herself and usually grins...and when her friend grins back, it triggers another grin, etc. We captured it on video:
Can you tell how long and thin she is? She's in the 95th percentile for height and 43rd for weight. Don't ask us how she got to be that shape, it simply baffles us. :) Maybe she'll be a model someday. Check out her latest fashion statement: bunny slippers!
And while we're mentioning milestones, let's just throw out one of Trevor's: current record holder for number of water balloons caught at the traditional Cropper family water balloon launching activity. Seriously, he was amazing.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Happy July!
July was an eventful month for us! We headed to Idaho Falls for the 4th of July, which also happens to be our niece Aubrey's birthday. We spent the day with Trevor's family and saw some great fireworks (IF puts on a good show! Check it out sometime.)
In the middle of the month, we bid farewell to our dear friends the Farnsworths. They left for Texas so Jake could begin grad school, but only after some appropriate partyin'. We all met at the Crockett's for pizza, then the girls watched So You Think You Can Dance while the boys played Star Wars: Epic Duels. Classic. We already miss them.
Then we headed off to Oakley (Trevor's hometown in Idaho) for their Pioneer Day Celebration. (For all you non-Utahns, it's a state holiday on the 24th of July...and Oakley celebrates it, too.) Trevor and two of his brothers played in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament and basically whomped on all the other teams they played (except 2). 
They were exhausted after 8 games, but really they were awesome. We also enjoyed a family reunion and a cousin's wedding reception, where we got to see lots of other babies. :)
Update on Cassie: She is smiling a lot more (for real!) now and she's doing a pretty good job of sleeping through the night. We discovered that she sleeps a lot better when she's close to us, so we moved her Pack 'n Play next to our bed. It's working out well so far. She sleeps really well when it's noisy: so far she's slept through two fireworks shows and one parade. She's alert more often and is finally big enough to fit into most of her 0-3 month clothes. Yay!
In the middle of the month, we bid farewell to our dear friends the Farnsworths. They left for Texas so Jake could begin grad school, but only after some appropriate partyin'. We all met at the Crockett's for pizza, then the girls watched So You Think You Can Dance while the boys played Star Wars: Epic Duels. Classic. We already miss them.
Then we headed off to Oakley (Trevor's hometown in Idaho) for their Pioneer Day Celebration. (For all you non-Utahns, it's a state holiday on the 24th of July...and Oakley celebrates it, too.) Trevor and two of his brothers played in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament and basically whomped on all the other teams they played (except 2). 
They were exhausted after 8 games, but really they were awesome. We also enjoyed a family reunion and a cousin's wedding reception, where we got to see lots of other babies. :)Update on Cassie: She is smiling a lot more (for real!) now and she's doing a pretty good job of sleeping through the night. We discovered that she sleeps a lot better when she's close to us, so we moved her Pack 'n Play next to our bed. It's working out well so far. She sleeps really well when it's noisy: so far she's slept through two fireworks shows and one parade. She's alert more often and is finally big enough to fit into most of her 0-3 month clothes. Yay!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tagged
What was I doing 10 years ago:
Lots of fun summer activities: Girl's Camp and CJH Madrigals boating trips stand out
What is on my to-do list for today?
Go to Macey's
Make chicken salad and fill croissants
Baby shower for a friend :)
Clean part of the computer desk (what a mess!)
What are 3 quirky habits of mine?
1. I always get out everything I need before I make any food...or ask Trevor to make any food. If I ask him to make juice, he'll go searching for the can and the pitcher, and I'll forget to tell him I already got them out.
2. I have to hug a pillow when I go to bed. The habit began in pregnancy and just stuck.
3. I quote "The Office" all the time.
3 Things You might not know about me:
1. I play the piano, the violin, and I sing- I took private lessons for 12 years, 8 years, and 7 years respectively.
2. I love to travel. I've been to most of the states in the U.S. (at least 32) and 8 foreign countries.
3. My nerdy passion is Broadway musicals. I love going to see them (in New York...or a local production if I can't make it to NYC), I have lots of Broadway music books, and I love to be in them, even though I'm not a very good actor.
Four Movies/TV shows I love:
1. The Office
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. American Idol
4. That Thing You Do
Four Books I Love:
1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
2. The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan
3. The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
4. Children of the Dustbowl by Jerry Stanley
Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Dick's Market Deli
2. Accompanist and musical director, Youth Theatre at the U (U of U)
3. Peer Mentor, Freshman Academy (BYU)
4. Choir Teacher, Dixon Middle School
Five Places I've Lived:
1. Houston, Texas
2. Centerville, Utah
3. Provo, Utah- 7 different apartments...does that count?
Five of My Favorite Foods:
1. Pasta- especially Carrabba's
2. Yogurt
3. Shrimp Tacos- Bajio
4. Chicken Green Chile Stuffed Quesadilla- Bajio
5. My mother-in-law's raspberry shakes...mmm!
Five Bloggers I'm Tagging:
Hmm...anyone who hasn't been tagged yet and really wants to do this, you are officially tagged!
Lots of fun summer activities: Girl's Camp and CJH Madrigals boating trips stand out
What is on my to-do list for today?
Go to Macey's
Make chicken salad and fill croissants
Baby shower for a friend :)
Clean part of the computer desk (what a mess!)
What are 3 quirky habits of mine?
1. I always get out everything I need before I make any food...or ask Trevor to make any food. If I ask him to make juice, he'll go searching for the can and the pitcher, and I'll forget to tell him I already got them out.
2. I have to hug a pillow when I go to bed. The habit began in pregnancy and just stuck.
3. I quote "The Office" all the time.
3 Things You might not know about me:
1. I play the piano, the violin, and I sing- I took private lessons for 12 years, 8 years, and 7 years respectively.
2. I love to travel. I've been to most of the states in the U.S. (at least 32) and 8 foreign countries.
3. My nerdy passion is Broadway musicals. I love going to see them (in New York...or a local production if I can't make it to NYC), I have lots of Broadway music books, and I love to be in them, even though I'm not a very good actor.
Four Movies/TV shows I love:
1. The Office
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. American Idol
4. That Thing You Do
Four Books I Love:
1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
2. The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan
3. The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
4. Children of the Dustbowl by Jerry Stanley
Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Dick's Market Deli
2. Accompanist and musical director, Youth Theatre at the U (U of U)
3. Peer Mentor, Freshman Academy (BYU)
4. Choir Teacher, Dixon Middle School
Five Places I've Lived:
1. Houston, Texas
2. Centerville, Utah
3. Provo, Utah- 7 different apartments...does that count?
Five of My Favorite Foods:
1. Pasta- especially Carrabba's
2. Yogurt
3. Shrimp Tacos- Bajio
4. Chicken Green Chile Stuffed Quesadilla- Bajio
5. My mother-in-law's raspberry shakes...mmm!
Five Bloggers I'm Tagging:
Hmm...anyone who hasn't been tagged yet and really wants to do this, you are officially tagged!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)