Dempsey Family

Finally...

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:30:37 GMT

After weeks of owning the scooter, I finally took the chance to ride it last night. Just as Jake had warned me, it was a lot of fun. I insisted on practicing in an empty parking lot before I would go on the road. I am kind of a chicken when it comes to riding on the street with other cars. The practice session went great--took me a little while to figure out the "leaning into the turn" thing. Other than that, I think I've got it down. I even drove it home, with Jake following behind to scrape me off the road. Luckily, that wasn't necessary. I found myself trying to think of people I could go visit on the scooter. Who knows, I might become a more social person (not likely). Jake actually took Alice on a marathon ride yesterday. They went downtown, got some gas, and then went over to our friends' house. Jake gave their kids rides and Jon some big ideas about new toys he might like to buy. Not sure if his wife, Becky, has the same ideas. But, I guess Alice did well on the long ride. Although Jake did have to keep telling her to hold on. She would just ride with one hand on the handle bars while waving to everyone and honking the horn. Fun little new toy--plus we save $ on gas. Jake has already run a few errands for me on it--plus he's much more willing to do them if he gets to take the scooter.

Update

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:12:54 GMT

It's been a while since I last posted, so an update is in order. However, I can't think of any funny stories so I will just ramble. Alice got her pink cast off a couple of weeks ago. That night we celebrated by going to cirque du soleil. We all enjoyed ourselves--except for G & G who babysat Roxie. It was nice to be able to give Alice some one-on-one time. Jake has acquired a scooter to cut down on gas prices. He will be able to drive it to work--weather permitting. So far, it has been raining most everyday. He will only use about 1 gallon of gas to commute to work each week as opposed to 1 tank of gas. That should save some money--IF we have some sunny days soon! Alice and Roxie are cohabitating as of last week. I couldn't stand how cramped our office was with the pack n play! Roxie is sleeping just great in the crib in Alice's room. Plus, we have discovered that Alice is a really hard sleeper--bonus. Roxie has had a couple nights were she starts squawking in the wee hours of the morning. Alice didn't flinch. We wrap Roxie back up and let her squawk herself back to sleep. That was the initial reason that we had them in separate rooms--so Alice doesn't get woken up. Turns out, it didn't matter. It also helps that Roxie sleeps through the night more often than not. Roxie is getting more fun each day. She plays with toys a lot more, and loves talking. She also loves squealing, and making really high pitched noises. We think we is part girl, part dog whistle. Yesterday Alice gave her first talk in primary. She was so excited to be able to say her talk into the "speaker" (aka microphone). I whispered in her ear and she spoke into the microphone. She did a great job. I think she was one of the first Sunbeams (ages 3-4) to give a talk this year. We are proud of her. I was always really nervous to do stuff like that--still am. It's amazing how kids come with their own little (or big) personalities.

Alice said...

Thu, 22 May 2008 21:53:16 GMT

"Sunglasses: Prepare to go on my face!" She then shoved her sunglasses over her eyes.

"Dad's silly. He's an April Fool."

"What the hell?" Both she and daddy got in trouble for that one.

Check your blankets, folks...

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:08:23 GMT

My friend Becky's blog reminded me of a little incident from last night. I sat down to watch some TV and snuggle up in a blanket we keep by the couch--which is incidentally by the front door, which Jake likes to sometimes keep open during nice weather. I wrapped the blanket around me and something tickled my hand. Thinking it might just be a feather from the down blanket, I didn't think much of it. Suddenly, something was MOVING on my hand. I jumped out of the blanket as fast as I could and my eye caught something black moving in the blanket. I made Jake go over and check it out. It was an ant--not just any ant--an ant like an INCH long. I swear it was that big--you can ask Jake. Have you ever seen such a thing? Have you ever had such a thing on your hand? I wouldn't recommend it. I refuse to use the blanket without thoroughly checking it first. I suggest you do the same. Spring is here and so are the insects.

Got her right where I want her

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:37:02 GMT

Last night I was trying to get Alice to finish her dinner. I was telling her to hurry up so we could go upstairs and fold clothes on my bed. She got really excited and asked if she could fold washcloths. "Only if you finish all you dinner. Plus, maybe you can do some shirts." To this, she lighted up and started shoveling it in. Man, I know someday soon she will figure out that folding clothes is actually a chore! Until then, I will enjoy it.

Home(ward) Bound

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:09:10 GMT

Today Alice had her followup appointment for her leg. She was terrified. She was crying and whining--but had little to no pain. It was just the memories from last week coming back to haunt her. Hopefully she will be a little better by the next appointment. We need to get that tough kid back! They took new x-rays and the leg is starting to heal. He didn't even change out the cast today. He just wrapped purple around the outside of the old one to seal the open edge. Thank goodness--I don't think she could've survived sawing the old one off and starting from scratch. It was hard enough getting her to sit while the Dr. wrapped the old one up with purple. However, she will need to remain in her cast for 4 more weeks. Then, she will get a shorter cast that allows her to walk a little. She'll have that one for another 2 or 3 weeks. THEN, she will be cast-free at the beginning of June.

She's been coloring like mad and learning to draw lots of letter and numbers. Our TV is getting a good workout too. Right now she is sitting with Jake on the bed and watching Where the Heart Is. Why is she watching a movie about a girl who has a baby in Walmart? Because she wants to--she told Jake not to turn it. She gets into the strangest shows. As for me, I am starting to feel stir-crazy. Normally I am fine staying home and not going place. But now that I know I can't get up and leave during the day, I feel ansy to get out. What is that all about? Anyhow, feel free to stop by and sign her cast!

Break a Leg

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:27:46 GMT

How do you break a leg while coloring? Ask Alice...

Today she was at Grandma's house, minding her own business, coloring. She was kneeling on a chair with slats on the back. As kids do, she he put one of her feet through the slats while coloring. All of a sudden she reached to the side and started falling head-first toward the ground. Of course her leg was still holding her to the chair. Grandma and I watched in slow motion from the other side of the room as she fell to the floor. The chair was still upright, while she hung from her leg--now looking a little odd. Grandma rushed over and got her uncaught, lifted her upright, and Alice asked to lie down. No sooner had she lain down than we examined her leg and she started feeling some pain. Rightly so, because she busted her leg! I rushed her to the Urgent Care in Redmond. After the Dr. saw her, it was apparent that it indeed was broken--duh. They were unable to do anything for her besides send her to the ER. The fire dept. was called over from across the street to help get her ready for transport. I certainly wasn't going to try and drive her there myself--especially when she was screaming from the pain. It was terrible--remind me why I had kids? When they get hurt, it hurts the parents too. It was almost unbearable because she is a tough kid. For her to be screaming, it must really hurt! They finally gave her a shot to take the edge off. After she was in a splint, they moved her to the ambulance--we enjoyed our first ride in one together. Hurray. The poor thing... Upon arriving at Evergreen (my hospital of choice), Jake met us and we went for x-rays. Luckily only one of the bones between her knee and ankle was broken. It was a really clean break so they were able to put it in a cast and send us on our way.

While there, she said a few notable things. When the nurse came in to see how she was doing, she said, “I’m ok. But you need a TV in here!”

The nurse gave her a popsicle and she started eating it. After a while, she stopped. I asked her if she needed anything. She responded, “Ya, I need another popsicle—for you, Mommy.” Awww…

When we got home, she threw up twice on herself. Can it get much worse for this girl? She said to Dad, "Daddy, I'm sorry for throwing up! Please don't call the policemen." She got some sleep so she’s feeling a little better today. She is so scared that her leg is going to hurt that she will hardly let us touch her. Her cast doesn’t allow for walking, so we have to carry her everywhere. We will get a good workout toting her around. It looks like we will be homebound for the next 4-6 weeks. Although, when she gets her cast replaced in a few weeks, she might be able to have one that allows her a little mobility. We are praying for a quick recovery!

Shots

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:01:02 GMT

Today was Roxie's 2 month checkup, which means she was in for some shots. She ended up with 5 vaccinations in 3 shots. Apparently they have combined three of the vaccinations into 1 shot now--which makes it a little easier on the baby legs. Poor little thing. She is Miss Cranky-Pants tonight! Hopefully she will feel better soon. I think the actual poking hurt Alice more than Roxie. She's been going on and on about it all day. "I don't want them to poke her again, Mom. They poked her legs and it hurt her!" She even passed this along to some poor lady at RiteAid. Alice can't help herself when it comes to talking to strangers. We're trying to work on that.

Anyway, the Dr. said that Roxie is doing just fine. She has reflux, but it isn't severe enough to do anything about. She will grow out of it. I think she is only in the 50th percentile for growth. She weighed in at 11lbs 6 oz and measured 22 inches. Although, I firmly believe she is longer than that. The nurse took the measurement when Roxie's legs were not fully extended. You can never get an accurate measurement on those little ones. We are happy she is growing well. She has consistently been sleeping at least 7 hours at a time each night--sometimes longer. After she gets some food, she goes back down for another 4 or so. It's pretty good...

...I like cheese better.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:10:32 GMT

Tonight at the dinner table Alice asked if we had ever seen a rockstar. We told her about the good ole' days when Jake and I used to attend concerts on a regular basis--before she was born. She asked where she was. "You were in heaven, Alice," says mom. To this she replied, "I don't like heaven--I like cheese better." Then she popped a piece of cheese into her mouth. ???

Growing up too fast...

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:21:24 GMT

My daughter is 3, going on 21. At least that's what Jake told a lady on Saturday when she asked how old Alice is. I think it is true. Alice informed the lady of her name and proceeded to spell it out (A-L-I-C-E). Then she told her that her sister's name was Roxie, and was kind enough to spell that too. I am pretty sure our kid has turned into that precocious child that I was always annoyed by. Me, "My kids are never going to be that obnoxious!"

As obnoxious as she can be, she is always doing things that put a smile on my face. For example, last weekend I purchased some new nylons for church. Alice thought the box was super cool and asked if she could have it. Uh, sure. Later that day I found this in her sock drawer. She stuffed a pair of her tights in the box.

Overboard

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:22:49 GMT

So, whenever the movie Overboard is playing on TV, I HAVE to watch it. Why? I really don't know. There is something about it that draws me in--no matter how many times I have seen it. I found myself watching it again last night and laughing out loud at some of the lines I had forgotten were in the movie ("A falsetto child?"). Other movies that I just can't get away from are: A Cinderella Story (yes, the one with Hilary Duff and Chad Micheal Murray), Johnny Tsunami, Clueless, The Wedding Planner, etc. For Jake, his movie is Drumline. I have to admit I like it too. Luckily these movies are replayed over and over again on channels like TBS, TNT, and ABC Family.

Freddy

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:08:26 GMT

We think Alice has a crush on Freddy. Who is Freddy, you ask? Well, he is a nice young man who is living with my parents. Whenever Alice goes over there, she asks where he is and if he's home she loves talking to him. He is nice enough to talk with her and has even been known to play with her. She is constantly mentioning him. If I say, "Cool" or "Sweet", she chimes in with "Hey, Freddy says cool (or sweet)". It's Freddy this, and Freddy that. She never fails to bring Freddy up somehow. I think he's too old for her--18. If she's going to have a crush, at least it's on one of the nicest 18 year olds that I know.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:08:53 GMT

Alice is spending the day at Grandma's while I get some much needed rest. Although, Roxie slept for a 6 hour stretch last night. What is up with that? I'm certainly not going to disturb her beauty sleep! So far she has been a pretty good baby. Doesn't cry much, sleeps a LOT, and isn't sure what to do when Jake "plays" with her. I have posted some new pictures of Roxie for your viewing pleasure. Alice's photo shoot is also on there. She got a new hair cut (because growing it out wasn't working). She has the craziest hair--cowlicks all over the place. The new do is much easier to deal with. We took some pictures to share, but she wouldn't stop posing for the camera. I'm not really sure where she picked that up--she's never met a camera she didn't like.

Basket Case

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:14:43 GMT

Even though Roxie has 2 other beds to choose from, we have been preferring to have her sleep in a laundry basket in our room at night. We did the same thing with Alice when she was little (only for the first month or so). Her sleep schedule was a little rough in the beginning, but seems to be getting better. Lately she has been going to bed around 11 or 12 (we are night owls around here) and only getting up once in the night for food. That is making life so much more bearable! Although, last night we had a little kink. After she ate, and she was getting burped, she puked up everything. THAT was fun to clean up at 4:30am. I remember Alice doing the same thing at about 2 weeks old. It was a one time thing, and I'm hoping it is the same thing for Roxie.

She's here!

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 21:59:56 GMT

Roxie Jane Dempsey arrived on Wednesday, January 30th at 2:46am. She clocked in at 7 lb 3oz and measured 20 inches. We are so excited to have her home with our little family. Alice is trying to adjust--she is SOOOO excited about having a baby sister. Unfortunately, she thinks of her more as a doll. She wants to put her in different outfits and still has a hard time "bringing it down a notch". But, she's a good big sister--always ready and willing to help.

After looking back at some of Alice's baby pictures, we have decided that Jake and I have only one set of genes to pass on. Is Roxie a clone? We don't know...can you tell who's who?

The Idiot

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:32:11 GMT

As we drove home from Grandma and Grandpa's last night, we saw a pedestrian walking on the street to avoid the ice on the sidewalk. Jake said something like, "Get off the road, you idiot!" Alice replied, "Daddy! Be nice to the idiot!" Great...

Snow snow snow

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:49:12 GMT

It snowed last night--and has been snowing on and off today. Alice raced out of her room this morning and in to see me. She woke me up and said, "Mom! It's snowing! It's snowing!!! We can go outside and play in it!" Since she has been fighting a cold for a few days now, she accidentally let a few coughs slip--probably induced by the sudden burst of excitement. Then she says, "Uh, I was just kidding mom. I don't have any coughs. I was just kidding." She reassured me over and over that she was ok to go play in the snow. Since we don't get to play in snow very often (and also that I feel guilty for not playing with her much lately and will soon have a newborn), we went outside this morning to play. She had a good time, and I was ready to go in after about 20 minutes. Luckily, she was ok with that too.

Aliens

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:13:09 GMT

As Alice and I were walking into the store tonight, she looked up at all the stars.

Alice: Mom! Look at all those sparkling stars!

Me: Yep...they're pretty.

Alice: And there's an alien space ship.

Me: Uh, I think that is an airplane.

Alice: No, it's an alien space ship. But, shhh, don't tell anyone. It's a secret...

Rednecks Day Out

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:24:18 GMT

Jake and Alice went with Brett and Will to the monster truck show in Tacoma on Saturday afternoon. Since sitting for hours on a bench at this point in the pregnancy is slightly uncomforable, I stayed home. Alice had been talking about it all week and was SO excited to go. They had a great time. Luckily they took ear protection, but Jake reported that there were a lot of young kids with out any. What are these parents thinking? I remember going to one show and barely being able to handle the noise. Alice loved watching the demolition races and the monster trucks. Her favorites were the Monkey Truck (Donkey Kong), the Moose Truck (? something with bull horns), and Grape Tigger (Gravedigger, my personal favorite). At one point, she leaned over to Jake and asked, "Dad, is that Satan?" Jake looked around and saw a man sitting behind them with multiple facial piercings. He said, "No" and they started talking to the guy--who turned out to be very nice, just a little intimidating to look at. She made all sorts of friends with the people sitting around her--including a guy who was feeding her popcorn. Jake put an end to that after a while because he was a little creeped out. Monster Truck Shows...does it get much more American than that? I can embrace my roots, can you?

It's no BYU

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 04:43:27 GMT

A couple of days ago I went down to Jake's school to purchase a parking pass for him. He gets home too late in the evening to go to the cashiers office himself so I did him a favor. Of course, I took Alice along with me. I felt completely comfortable going there because I graduated from the UWB. At least I felt comfortable until I noticed a lot of people staring. Kids are rather scarce on campus--as are women who are nearly ready to give birth. As I was driving home, I had to laugh as I thought about how things would be different if I were walking on the BYU campus. It is not unusual to see kids running around. It is also quite normal to have pregnant women in your class. I remember taking a humanities class and a couple women actual had babies during the course of the semester and returned to class. They would even bring a stroller to class! Wow, BYU is a strange place. But, I have to admit I would've felt more comfortable walking around on that campus. But, I guess I probably would've gotten stares anyhow because I am older than most of the mothers at BYU--pregnant at almost 29 is practically senior discount material.

Photo Album: 2008_06.28

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:25:16 GMT

2008_06.28

2008_06.24 002

2008_06.24 003

2008_06.27 007

2008_06.27 008

Photo Album: 2008_06.20

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:52:42 GMT

2008_06.20

2008_06.20 002

2008_06.20 008

Photo Album: 2008_06.09

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:54:50 GMT

2008_06.09

Alice and Dad on the new scooter

Alice and Dad

Alice drew this bird by herself--pretty good

Alice riding the scooter

That helmet is the size of a watermelon

2008_05.30 013

Roxie gets these bubble clusters on her chin--she's foaming at the mouth!

2008_06.02 004

2008_06.03 004

2008_06.03 008

Photo Album: 2008_05.20

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:39:33 GMT

2008_05.20

4 generations of family

Alice with her leg unveiled for the first time in 5-6 weeks

Leg looking good

Doc says the bone is healing well

2008_05.16 004

2008_05.16 005

2008_05.16 012

2008_05.17 001

Alice in her new pink walking cast

2008_05.17 027

More Photos...

Photo Album: 2008_05.04

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:08:03 GMT

2008_05.04

Like the baby bling (ie brain squisher)?

Happy to be home from church

2008_05.04 028

Photo Album: 2008_04.29

Tue, 06 May 2008 04:06:37 GMT

2008_04.29

2008_04.23 010

2008_04.23 043

2008_04.23 045

Alice passed out after church

She's really into sucking her bottom lip in lately

Photo Album: 2008_04.17

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:54:59 GMT

2008_04.17

This is how Alice spends most of the day--coloring

2008_04.15 005

2008_04.15 010

2008_04.15 015

2008_04.15 017

2008_04.15 022

2008_04.15 026

Cast#1

2008_04.15 029

Can you say, "Photogenic"?

More Photos...

Photo Album: 2008_04.11

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:38:06 GMT

2008_04.11

Alice resting in her new cast

Poor thing...

Roxie hanging out at Grandma's

This is what happened when I put Roxie down to do some laundry

Photo Album: 2008_04.07

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:05:28 GMT

2008_04.07

Bathing bunny

Photo Album: 2008_04.02

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:18:19 GMT

2008_04.02

2008_04.02 004

2008_04.02 005

2008_04.02 007

This is what Alice can be seen doing quite often these days

Please ignore the mess in the background

2008_04.02 015

2008_04.02 016

2008_04.02 017

2008_04.02 020

2008_04.02 024

Photo Album: 2008_03.25

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:17:59 GMT

2008_03.25

This easter basket makes me happy

This makes me happy too

Alice peeking

She found her easter basket

Alice in her Easter dress

Posing--why, why???

Alice finding her eggs

Piper looking for eggs

Jack searching for eggs

Brett and will

More Photos...

Photo Album: 2006.11.27

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:02:12 GMT

2006.11.27

Alice and Great Grandma Alice

Owen and Mark

Will, Alice, Owen

Cousins

Alice covered in yogurt

Alice watering the tree

Alice in the snow

Alice

Photo Album: 2008_03.13

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:40:45 GMT

2008_03.13

Ready for her bath--but not really

Warming up to the idea of a bath

All washed up

Clean girl

2008_03.13 025

Photo Album: 2008_03.10

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:29:33 GMT

2008_03.10

2008_03.06 001

2008_03.06 009

2008_03.06 011

Mom, Dad, Alice, and Roxie--in play-doh form

Luke Skywalker impression--notice the missing hand

2008_03.08 003

2008_03.08 012

2008_03.10 001

2008_03.10 002

2008_03.10 010

More Photos...

Photo Album: 2008_02.14

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:27:15 GMT

2008_02.14

Photo shoot

Photo shoot--where does she get it from?

This is why we don't use the headbands--she was MAD!

2008_02.13 009

More Photos...

Photo Album: 2007_08.19

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:07:55 GMT

2007_08.19

4th of July at the Cadds

Fish on the 4th of July

Getting ready for fireworks with Grandma and Will

Alice

Alice has a Santa beard for her Mr. Potatohead she likes to wear

Alice at dance class

More dance class

Even more dance class

Alice at the Idaho Falls Temple

At the temple

More Photos...

Photo Album: 2007_08.25 - The Fair

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:05:22 GMT

2007_08.25 - The Fair

Alice in her bunny ears

Cousins Alice, Owen, Jack, and Piper

Coloring

Owen and Bridgette

Jack and Piper

Alice and Piper

Owen and Bridgette

Piper and Alice

Owen

More Photos...

Photo Album: 2007_09.11

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:04:46 GMT

2007_09.11

Alice and Piper climbing

Piper on the fish

Alice

Will at the top of the slide--he never went down

Will on the frog

Alice going down the slide

Alice at the bottom of the slide

Piper--a pro on the long slide

Alice hanging on for dear life

More Photos...