Phantom!

The first time I saw Phantom of the Opera I was in 4th grade, 9 years old. My grandma used to take the entire family to a musical each Christmas. This particular show was one of the greatest nights of my life. What an experience. Michael Crawford played Phantom. I was completely entranced the entire show.

I remember waking up to the sound of Phantom of the Opera on Sunday mornings. My mom played the music so we would be familiar with it before going to the show. My sister and I used to lay in bed at night singing the songs. At one time she and I could recite the entire show word for word. Trust me, that was one sure way to annoy the heck out of my dad! Well, my wonderful, magnificent, talented and otherwise spectacular sister is taking me to Phantom of the Opera in LA for my birthday! Yeah! I can not even begin to tell you how excited I am! I love you sis! 

Afterthought: Maybe I should go finish your wedding scrapbook before I come to see you. I mean it is what? Only your third anniversary in March...oops!

Hulse Baby #3 01.26.09

Here is Hulse baby #3. The ultrasound tech said I am measuring exactly on my due date - August 27, 2009. I totally and completely think this baby is a boy. Johnny and I make boys. That is just how it works for us. I feel wonderful except for being tired and that is to be expected. I have not been sick at all. If I were having a girl I think I would be sick. I just "feel" that it is a boy and I am okay with that. 

For now we will call "it" peanut, but I like Wesley (**sigh**, it makes me think of Princess Bride). Johnny is thinking Wyatt. He said he wanted Wyatt, Morgan, or Virgil. I vetoed the last two in a heartbeat and told him to stop watching Tombstone! I have issues picking names. I want all my offspring to have a name of their own, no rhyming or all starting with the same letter. They are each unique. I don't even want them to have the same sounding end to their names. I think Wesley Hulse would be a good name. Not to knock Wyatt but I have never been a fan. For some reason I think I would feel the need to dress him as a cowboy his entire life. 

If by chance this baby surprises me, (which I highly doubt) I like the name Eliza. Johnny only likes Eliza if it is spelled Alyza, but that is a little too strange for me! He also likes Angelica but that makes me think of Rugrats. I like Eve, but does that sound strange? Eve Hulse? It seems we need a first name with more than one syllable. 

It is late and I should not be thinking about baby names yet. 30 more weeks to go.

My happy boys...

My happy boys in their Christmas church clothes. I love sweater vests.

What a Week!

Last Saturday: Went to a birthday party. Daniel started throwing up pink frosting in the car on the way home.

Sunday: Daniel threw up all over the kitchen. Johnny and I traded off at church. Sacrament meeting was quite peaceful sitting all by myself. Laundry.

Monday: Daniel was getting better, Jaxon started getting sick. Laundry.

Tuesday: Jaxon started throwing up. Johnny was out of town. Laundry. Laundry. Laundry.

Wednesday: Daniel was complaining his tummy hurt. Jaxon was still sick. Daniel was bored being in the house and threw screaming tantrums most the day. The boys were hardly eating anything. I came home from a church activity to Jaxon hysterical. After a few hours of him literally screaming in pain I took him to urgent care about 10:30pm. Diagnosis: Severe ear infection in left ear. Treatment: Antibiotics & ear drops. Pharmacy: Argument with pharmacist over pink coloring of antibiotics. In bed after midnight.

Thursday: Johnny was home from work. Yeah! I started getting sick. Daniel threw another tantrum and started slamming/kicking doors. I tried to stop the door slamming as he swung the door shut. It went back and the door lever caught him in the forehead. Daniel started screaming that he couldn't see. See below. 2nd trip to urgent care. (about 5pm) Diagnosis: Hematoma and one missing tube from the left ear, vision was not impaired.

Treatment: Cold packs & heaps of motherly guilt. Emergency trip to COSTCO for pull-ups. Jaxon pukes up the pink antibiotics after checking out. Johnny starts calling Daniel funny names.

Friday: 1am Daniel in our room saying his ears are bleeding. Screaming, crying, complaining, bribing, pleading, etc. 3am Daniel in our room saying his ears are bleeding. 3:01am 3rd trip to urgent care. Receptionist laughs as I walk in. They kindly don't charge me. Dr. confirms Daniel's ears are not in fact bleeding. His left ear is just draining fluid from having the tube come out. Daniel says "okay" stops crying and I take him home. He goes right to sleep. Ward temple night. Crying in the celestial room over my terrible week.

Saturday: I still don't feel good. Suffering from guilt, pregnancy, and sleep deprivation. Playing in Pioneer Park. Fun time with family. Daniel enjoyed seeing the train. Jaxon and Daniel play in the water of a drinking fountain. Daniel falls in the water and hits his head again (same spot). More motherly guilt. 5:45pm talking with neighbors; hear Jaxon scream. Johnny is holding our crying baby but it is not a normal cry. Jaxon had an inch and a half gash across his chin. 4th (YES 4TH!) trip to urgent care. Receptionist laughs as I walk in. Diagnosis: Split chin. Ear infection in left ear is gone, now right is infected. Treatment: Medical glue and gauze. Stay on vomit inducing antibiotics.

Sunday: Can't even lift my head off the pillow. Still feeling sick. Sleep until 9! Oops, church started at 8! Walk around in a daze. Try to go to another ward sacrament meeting to "make up" for missing ours. Fight with Daniel for almost an hour over wearing his church shoes. Go to the other ward. The meeting started an hour ago...we were misinformed. Go home. Crawl in a hold and die. Try not the think about the $150.00 we spent at urgent care this week. Pray we don't have to go again.

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008 was small and relaxing. My parents came into town from California. Since my little sister lives in Nepal and my older sister had her tonsils out the day before it was just us. I enjoyed having my parents come and my boys LOVE Mumzie and Pauna!

I didn't put up a real tree this year. Only a sad little outline on the wall. I know. I was a Scrooge, but honestly it was better this way. My boys would have destroyed a real tree and I was feeling overwhelmed as it was. So, this is all we had, but love was a plenty, so we were not left wanting.

My boys loved their new Radio Flyer wagon. Jaxon climbed in and out all day. They also loved playing new games and spending time together. I love Christmas.

The boys looked so cute in their new Church clothes (thank you cousin Kim & Aunt Louanna).

Change in 2009

I am expecting a ton of changes for 2009. With the help of a loving Heavenly Father we are hopefully going to be shaking things up a bit.

First we hope for Johnny to get in the with Lineman union. He is #2 on the NM waiting list and he interviews at two locations in Texas in January.

Second, if Johnny does get in the lineman union we will most likely be kickin' it in a travel trailer.

Third I will be working from home! YEAH! My employer told me that I was an asset to their company and even though I have only been with them for 6 months they didn't want me to have to resign when we move. The director and my manager have made arrangements for me to work from home. I will be provided a laptop and I will set my own hours Monday-Friday at home with my kids. I already have a tentative schedule in mind. It really feels that I have been working toward this type of position for a long time. When I started my MAED program working from home was my goal. We are so blessed!

Fourth, (and most important) we are going to have Hulse Baby #3 the end of August 2009. Yikes! I am still in shock. I was so hungry for a baby and now I am scared to death! My friend Janelle made me take a test two days before Christmas (I was putting it off). For Christmas Johnny got one gift he really didn't expect! I am so excited to be pregnant with a handful of wonderful friends. 4 of us are all due within 2 weeks of each other. I really want a girl but I would be happy with a boy too! I love my boys and Daniel is excited I have a baby in my tummy!

We have been so blessed. I feel like the Lord knows what we want and need and he is guiding our lives. I know that He loves me and my family. I love my boys! Johnny, Daniel & Jaxon are such a joy to me. I love my life.

BABY HUNGRY!

About 10 days ago my friend mentioned to me that she was going to have her IUD taken out because they were ready to have another baby. It made me start thinking...and now I can't stop thinking! I wish I could shut off my maternal cravings for just a few more months! You see, my friend and I have been prego together both times. We each have two kids almost exactly the same age. I feel like it is some kind of strange bond or connection between us. It is strange but I feel even closer to her when we are pregnant at the same time. We talk about names, clothes, babies, swelling, etc. All the fun stuff. Monday morning I found out she (and another friend of mine) are pregnant! I am such a TERRIBLE friend. Do you know what I said to her? Instead of congratulations I said "how could you?"! I was being sarcastic of course, but I know I am terrible. I am so sorry (you know who you are)! I am SO EXCITED FOR YOU!

I am excited for my friend, but now I want to be prego again too. But, then I walk into a store with Daniel and I cringe! I don't think I could survive another Daniel! If you have met Daniel you know what I mean. He is a wonderful, happy, energetic boy. He just has a little problem with authority and he NEVER stops talking. Jaxon on the other hand is quiet, doesn't say too much and loves to look at books. He will sit on my lap and let me hold him. But, he is starting to act more and more like Daniel. It has to be the age. Someone PLEASE tell me it is just the age. Daniel just turned 3. 18 months to 3 years was a really rough time with him...and it isn't over yet.

Am I ready for another baby yet? I think if it was a girl I would say absolutely! A boy? I am scared out of my mind to have another boy. They would outnumber us. A few weeks ago I bought Daniel one of the Monkey backpacks with a leash, I would need a few more leashes if I had another boy! I would need my own time out room! How did my grandmother survive? She had 3 boys! How did my mother-in-law survive? She had 6 boys. If any of you know Johnny I am positive Daniel is Johnny's mothers revenge on him! Now I am paying the price (don't get me wrong Johnny is totally worth it, but still). Another fear I have is that the next one will have the same condition Jaxon has. If the next one is a boy they have a 60% chance of having EE. If it is a girl it is only a 30% chance.

The other problem is we tried for 2 years before we found out we were pregnant with Daniel. Jaxon was a surprise, but what if we have to go through fertility again? Do I really want to delay getting that going?

The other night I went to bed asking Johnny about baby names...what is wrong with me? Someone tell me how to turn off my hormones.