Smiles

In my opinion smiles from babies bring pure joy to a heart... they seem to come just in the nick of time for their mama's whose tired levels are peaking and who find themselves wondering if they can really do this?? And then... those precious little angels look right at you and smile and not only joy fills your heart but lots of other mother emotions and just before bursting... your heart melts... maybe it's not like that for everyone... but that's how much I love my baby's smiles. I have a million pictures and updates about our summer but I though I'd throw in a sneak peak of baby Oliver and a glimpse of his smiles. I wish I could also share his sweet scent, the feel of his soft velvet skin, his tender earlobes, and tiny toes... We can't get enough of him.

Last week I took him into the doctor's office for a check-up. At three and a half months he weighs 11 pounds 4 ounces and he is 23 inches long... he is a pretty shrimpy little guy and only in the 5th percentile on the charts. In comparison, Evan had doubled his birth weight by 2 months and weighed in at a whopping 16 pounds!!! ... i loved Evan's rolls and chub but it is fun to have a little guy too. It seems to make the newborn stage last a little longer...

what a little heart throb...
I've mentioned before how much babies love my dad... and he feels the same way about them. Here is Oliver cooing and smiling at his papa. My Dad gets a smile out of him every time he even glances towards Ollie... they are already pals!



I don't know what I'd do without my dad around...

I've been thinking a lot about him these past few days. Last Wednesday night he had a heart attack. We were just cleaning up after dinner at our house when my dad came in from outside and sort of slumped onto the couch. We were chatting and I'm not sure we really noticed him until he slowly said "Emily, I don't feel well..." I was alarmed by his gray skin tone and I asked him what was wrong. He said that he was having sharp pain in the center of his chest, and that his left arm felt funny. The next few minutes were a blur of activity as we quickly grabbed aspirin for him, decided what to do, called 911 and then rushed him to the hospital. He was nauseated and weak and just didn't look good. We knew that it would take far longer for the ambulance to get to us than it would take for us to get him help. We felt like the best decision was to take him to the hospital ourselves, since we live so close. Glen drove the car while my mom calmly (it's a gift she has) reassured my dad. They arrived at the ER in about 4 minutes and left my sister Sara and I standing on the driveway in each others arms, tearful, nervous but trying to be hopeful... I realized as we watched them drive away that I might never see my dad again...

I offered up a prayer and begged Heavenly Father not to take him.

Sara and I kept busy getting our kids settled into bed for the night. We did not want to worry them, so we took turns making phone calls and tending to them. We called our little sister Julie who was in Heber at her in-laws and our older brother Steve who was a few hours away on business. We all pulled strength from each other and just kept praying that dad would be ok.

After treatment, medication and several tests the doctors were still unable to diagnose my dad's symptoms as a official heart attack. They needed to wait for further results so they wanted him to stay the night and be monitored. Although he was not completely stable we felt like he was in the best place he could be for the time being. Glen came home and sat with the sleeping children so that Sara and I could go to the hospital. When we arrived Steve was also there... he left his business trip and drove home as soon as we called him. We are so grateful that Steve is a nurse... I feel pretty rusty about my nursing skills so it is nice to have his. He is the most compassionate guy I know and he is smart, really smart!!... he doesn't forget things and has a tremendous ability to not only comprehend and soak in knowledge but also to connect with people and be a calming influence. He is such an incredible guy! We all lean on him not only as our big brother but as the one who holds us together. It was such a relief to see my dad lying there in his hospital gown all hooked up to monitors... he was ok!! My heart was warm with love for him! We left the hospital late that night, feeling calm and as though things would work out. We were so blessed!

The next morning my dad's results came in and it was determined that he had in fact had a heart attack. They needed to act quickly to keep him out of more danger. My parents decided to travel to Ogden to Mackay Dee hospital where they could get the care that he needed. He was taken by ambulance while my mom and Steve followed behind. Dad was immediately taken in for an angioplasty where they determined that one of his arteries in his heart had a 99% blockage. The doctor placed two stents into that artery to help widen in for better blood flow.

During all of this time my dad was still at risk for complication and it was a very scary couple of days. Julie and Richie came from his parents house in Heber to see dad. Sara extended her trip, she had planned to drive back to California on that Friday. All of our kids were very concerned when we told them that their grandpa was in the hospital. During those days Dad was constantly in our minds...I kept thinking of memories and all the little day to day details of him and the appreciation for his life. Everyone knows how close our family is... I realize that not everyone feels such a deep draw towards their family as I do... and that's ok... It it what it is and I cannot deny that I am living my dream life. It would break my heart to look back on life and not have the ties and day to day association with extended family. to me, that's what is important... So yes, I am a sucker for my family and I didn't think it was even possible to feel more love for them... but during those rough few days, worrying for my dad... our love became even stronger. that's what happens when something rocks your world. So although I wish this never would have happened to my dad... I am grateful for the lesson that it taught me about where I am right now in my life. I love my Dad SO MUCH and it was nice to be reminded just how much he means to me! I am so grateful that my Dad is now home and doing remarkably well.
He is healthy and that...

is something to SMILE about!