Last night was an all too interesting night. We went to our last softball game and the kids were there with us, watching and cheering from the sideline like always. After the game (that we lost) there were some rice krispy treats for the team. As Ethan was reaching for one I realized they had peanut butter chips in them and told him he couldn’t have one. So he flipped out and was crying and wandering over to the parking lot. I was going after him, trying calm him down and explain why he couldn’t eat one.
After a couple minutes I turned around and saw Austin chewing on big wad of something. I knew right away that he had gotten some of the treat. So I scooped as much as I could out of his mouth and then waited to see if we were going to have a reaction. Sure enough, just a couple minutes later he started making funny faces with his mouth because the whole inside of his mouth and his tongue were swelling up, fast.
So we got him over to the car and got out the little packets of Benadryl. I always have an EpiPen with us too, so I got that out and on standby. He took the Benadryl and then we sat and waited to see what would happen. After about 5 minutes he wasn’t improving at all, so I knew we needed to get him to the hospital. We strapped all the kids into their car seats and sped to Evergreen Hospital, which was about 10 minutes away. Marc and Julia followed behind us in their car.
DJ was a tad crazy in his driving to get us there. But I’m glad he got us there as fast as he did, because while we were driving Austin started to do worse. He was puking up big time and his mouth was still very swollen and he started to gag and cough. PUKE, every where. NOT FUN.
I rushed him into the ER, covered in puke myself now and they quickly got him to a room. We stripped him down and put a gown on, only to have him puke all over the gown and bed. So we cleaned him up again and got him a bowl to catch some of the delightful vomit.
They had us pin him down so that they could put an IV in his arm. I was on the brink of losing it myself, seeing him go through this horrible experience. But Austin was beyond good. He was such a trooper. He cried just a for a second when the put the IV in. And then they had to give him a big shot in the leg. He cried for about 20 seconds after that. He was so sweet because he’d tell us he needed his bowl when he felt sick or needed to spit the huge amounts of drool coming out of his mouth. He was so swollen that drool was coming in cupfuls.
The IV was in his arm and kept trying to come out so the nurse tried to strap a board to prevent him from bending it. It didn’t work that well, so I had to hold his arm straight as best I could. They gave him some meds through the IV, which made him cry and which I HATED to watch. I could only imagine how yucky and painful and out of sorts he felt. He kept asking for me to hold his hand and give him kisses. It broke my heart.
Then he had to breath in this Epinephrine vapor through a tube they put by his face. He really didn’t like that. At this point, DJ drove the twins home with Marc and Julia and got some fresh clothes and book for Austin and I. Marc and Julia were wonderful and stayed and got the twins bathed and to bed so that DJ could quickly get back to Austin and I.
Some of the drugs they gave Austin had adrenaline in them, so he was particularly fidgety on top of his discomfort. Over and over he would say Owie, Owie, Owie Mommy. Mommy Owie. 
We tried to read books and distract the best we could, but it wasn’t easy. After DJ got back, I stepped outside to get some air. It had been an intense hour and I had to step away for a few minutes to just destress. Austin was in good hands and I knew he was fine, but the whole experience just washed over me and I had to say some silent prayers of thanks and calm down.
They kept him under observation for a couple hours after administering the meds. I thought he would drift off to sleep, but he never did. His mouth was swollen and he continued to puke for another hour or so. Finally the meds started to work and the puking ceased and he only had a slightly swollen mouth. They discharged us and told us to wake him at 2 am and give him more Benadryl. I guess the allergy can stay in his system for several days, so he has to take meds for a few days still. And we have to take him to his pediatrician later today too.
It was a horrific experience, but I do realize and appreciate how much worse it could have been. He never stopped breathing so I was never fearful for his life in that sense. The only thing with these types of allergies is that now that he’s had an episode, any future episodes WILL be worse. They worsen each subsequential time and if we ever have to go through it again he will most likely need that EpiPen to keep him breathing. So we have to be even more cautious now and more vigilant in keeping him from peanuts. Ethan too. I REALLY don’t want to ever go through that whole ordeal again, with either of my kids. No fun to have peanut allergies.
Austin is playing here next to me right now and is in good spirits. Kids bounce back so fast. He’s going to be just fine and I thank God for that. I love him so much!!! He is such a joy and a sweetheart and I am so blessed to be apart of his life.
So back in late June, early July, my Grandma Ulmer came to visit. YEAH! She was long overdue, it had been way too long since her last visit and I was missing her and so were the kids. Austin didn’t remember her, but it didn’t take him long to warm up to her and then they were bestest buds the rest of the trip. Ethan and Addison totally remembered her and were ecstatic to see her. It’s always more fun when Great Grandma Ulmer is here!
We had lots of good weather and went to parks and did swimming classes and just had a great time playing and hanging out. We went out to PLud for the 4th of July celebration. We had crab fresh from the bay, the kids went to the beach, we went out on the boat, we ate lots of good food, we did s’mores on the campfires and we stayed so late that when we got into the ferry line in Kingston, the local concert and fireworks show was at it’s peek right as we waited in line. We had a front row seat to the fireworks, without any of the traffic or crowds of people. And then all around us on the ferry ride across the water there were fireworks going off. How perfect is that?!
It was wonderful to have my Grandma here for a visit and it was, as always, way too short. We miss her!!! Come back Grandma! 
We love you!
Here are a couple shots from the beach at PLud and then of the kids and Grandma the day she left. I’m just rotten at taking pictures, I always forget. At least we have a couple this time.
Dear Austin,
Sorry that your letters are always late. I’m always a couple weeks behind, but at least I’m consistent! Life just takes a hold of you and runs so fast that you can’t hardly keep up. Three little kids can make a Mommy a bit crazy sometimes and I’ll just have to claim that as my excuse this month.
We had a very fun filled month of July. Summer finally arrived and we tried to take advantage of the good weather as much as possible. You’re getting old enough now to do anything and go anywhere that we are wanting to go. It makes going out and trying new things all that much more doable and enjoyable. We love it! But there is a down side to all this big kid stuff, and that’s the fact that you’re getting to be a big kid. No more baby. Makes me sad. You’re almost two years old now and everyday is a step closer to those dreaded terrible two’s. Hey, maybe you’ll surprise us all and be the perfect angel 2 year old. Ha ha ha ha. Not likely with the Wheeler blood running through your veins. 
) But I love you no matter what is ahead of us, you’re just so sweet and innocent and joyful that I soak up every minute with you, every day.
Last month we gave camping a try. You loved it. Not only did you get be outside all the time, but you were allowed to sleep on the big air mattress with Ethan and Addison. This was a brand new freedom for you and let’s just say it didn’t quite work out like Mom and Dad had hoped it would. You were the last one to go to sleep and the first one to wake the next morning. 7 hours of sleep for you is definitely NOT enough. But to give you credit, you were the happiest of the kids that next day and still were energetic and easy going all that morning. Most of the time that is how you roll. You have a very laid back temperament and love to just be apart of whatever is going on. It’s such a breath of fresh air when the older kids are making me pull my hair out.
You continue to amaze me with your talking skills. It’s like something clicks all of a sudden and you’re saying 2 and 3 word phrases, mimicking any word that someone says and doing your very best to communicate to people what you feel, what you like, what you want and what you need. It must be so exhilarating to finally be able to get across what you want and have people respond back. You even chat on the telephone with some sense of coherence! You’re conversations go something like this. “Hi mam ma, ha eew?, good, good, yeah, yeah, yeah, la eew, bye bye.” Translation: Hi Grandma, how are you?, good and yeah, (answering questions), love you, bye!
You are very daring and adventurous. You have no fear when it comes to climbing things and it scares me to death because I’m not used to having such a monkey for a kid. You managed to climb in and then back out of your crib a week ago. You haven’t tried to do it again when it’s bedtime (thankfully), but I can’t believe you did it in the first place. You can climb up onto the counters and can open all doors and get into pretty much anything you want. Normally this would spell disaster for a Mom, but in your case you’ve been really good and trustworthy. I never have had any problems with you getting into stuff you shouldn’t. It does help to have older siblings that will tattle on you if you get too far out of line. It’s what siblings do best!
Oh, one other thing that happened a week ago is that we took your beloved paci away. It’s been a bit rough on all of us, but I knew we’d better do it now because if we waited you’d have gotten all that much more attached. You seriously loved that paci. You’re relearning how to sooth yourself and it’s no fun. I definitely feel bad for you, but I know it will be a short process and you’ll be back to your normal self again soon.
You’re so loving and sweet Austin. You will actually get mad if I don’t give you enough kisses on demand. You hug and kiss and snuggle on me all day long. It’s the BEST. You also have a playful side and try to tickle us when you can. “Kickal” is how you say it and you get a mischievous grin when you’re try to kickal us. I’ll take that kind of mischief any day! I love you so much and can’t wait to see what this next month brings. Do me a favor and stay this age for a few months longer, will ya?
Love you always!
Mommy
Ethan is a FISHY! Three weeks ago he had a big milestone with swimming and went the length of the pool without any help. We were all cheering him along from the sidelines. I wish I had it on video. Addison was able to swim half the length of the pool before she needed help, so she’s a tad behind Ethan in swimming skills, but she’s learning quick. She’s so graceful in the pool. She points her toes and is always so stretched out. And she’s great at floating, she’s naturally very buoyant.
They both love swimming so much. Ethan has gotten so confident with his swimming now that he swims around the pool, without the teacher, just for fun. And today he was swimming around the deep end and would get close to the wall and then turn around and go another direction, like he didn’t want to be done, or need the help of anything. He’s so cute when he swims too cause he has a MASSIVE toothy grin on his face the whole time, under and above water. Then he grabbed a big beach ball and was playing with it while treading water, punching it around, jumping on it, having a grand old time. I just couldn’t believe how well he was doing. It’s like he’s crossed the line of a semi-swimmer, to a full blown swimmer. Way to go Ethan!
In another couple month Austin will be starting his swim lessons. SO CUTE. I can’t wait. He’ll take his lessons while the twins are in preschool, so I will get to focus just on him and enjoy it.
We love swimming!
So about a month ago (WOW has it really been that long ago?!), my Mom, Kahly, me and Addison went down to Santa Monica to visit Kyra. We like to try and do some kind of girls getaway each year and this year we decided Addison was old enough to join in on the tradition with us.
I didn’t tell Addison that we were going on the trip until we were in the car on our way to the airport. I did this for a couple reasons. #1, she would be way too excited and wouldn’t sleep the night before if I had told her and #2, I didn’t want to make Ethan feel bad because he wasn’t going. When my Mom and Addison and I were in the car driving the airport I told her we were going on an airplane to California to see Kyra. Her face was priceless. To say she was excited was an understatement. And to be honest, I was just as excited as her because hey, this was a real vacation!!!
We were flying standby, but didn’t have any troubles with getting on the flight that morning. And Addison was very good the entire time at the airport, on the plane and when we had to get the rental car. She was just so happy to be hanging out with the big girls. And I was so glad to have her there with us too. It made the whole trip that much more special.
After we got there we went to visit Kyra at her work, which Addison REALLY loved. She sat at Kyra’s desk and met all her friends and was the center of attention. I was surprised by how not-shy she was. She’s really grown up in the past 6 months. She shook hands with all the people she met and talked with them without any hesitation. I was a proud Mama.
We spent the next 4 days doing what all girls love to do. Relaxing, shopping, eating and hanging out together. We ate at a lot of amazing restaurants. Everything is very “posh and rich” down in SM, so there were a ton of cute and trendy and delicious cafes and Kyra made sure that we ate at the best ones in town. The condo we stayed at was in a perfect location and we were able to walk to most places we went. Addison absolutely loves eating at restaurants so she was in heaven the whole time. Two of the nights there we got FroYo (frozen yogurt) at this amazing place just down the road. Probably Addison’s favorite part of the whole trip. That girl LOVES ice cream. Oh, and one funny thing about Addison during the trip was her constant need to organize things. When we sat down at a place to eat she was insistent on organizing all the silverware, making sure the sugar packets were just so, placing the waters in the right spots. I guess it’s what kept her entertained while we waited, but boy oh boy did she remind me of myself during those moments. YIKES.
Our condo was pretty decent and it was great to have the separate bedrooms so that we could put Addison down to bed at night and then have some big kid time playing games and watching movies. Playing games, eating candy and being ridiculously silly is what my Mom and sisters and I do best.
My Mom’s main goal in going down there was to buy a new wardrobe. So one of the days we dedicated to mostly shopping. Addison had her up and down moments during the shopping, but I do give her credit for walking an enormous amount that day. I’m sure we walked a few miles. So she was somewhat entitled to a couple meltdowns. It definitely helped when Kyra took her into a designer kids clothing store and bought her a pretty sundress and new sparkly purple shoes. SPOILED that girl is.
One bummer thing was that I got a cold. Figures. So I wasn’t full energy for most of the trip, but I tried to make the best of it. I used Addison’s down time during the days (when she watched a movie) as my chance to rest up too. So that worked out well.
One of the days we went to the beach. This was Addison’s first time going to a big wave beach. She wanted nothing to do with those waves and was perfectly content to sit up on the towels, eating snacks and building sand castles. She really enjoyed it and didn’t complain once that all we were doing was laying around on towels. At one point she had to go the bathroom and there was no way I was hiking a half a mile on hot sand with her to the nasty public restrooms. So we improvised and she peed in the sand bucket Kyra had brought for her. We all thought this was pretty funny. Oh, and there was a dead sea lion that washed ashore about 50 yards from where we were laying out. It was sad, but it’s kind of a cool story to tell.
The day that we flew out we decided to go to the Pier and ride the Ferris Wheel. Another first for Addison. We actually had a really fun time at the pier. Addison rode a few small rides, we played some carnival games and won her a giant pink monkey, we shopped for souvenirs and acted like complete tourists. It was a great way to end our vacation.
I think by the end Addison was tired enough to actually be ready to head back home. I didn’t have much in the way of protests when we had to get back on the plane to go home. She was a total trooper the whole trip and earned her right to join us every year now. It was amazing to me how much easier it was with just one child. Piece of cake! Especially since Addison is so well behaved and easy to please. We all had a blast and can’t wait until next year. I loved sharing it with Addison and building an even better relationship with her. It was a wonderful Mommy daughter trip.
Addison ate almost her entire adult plate of pancakes, strawberries and bananas. I think Kyra helped her polish it off in the end though.
This was on the boardwalk after dinner one night.
We went to a fancy place one night, totally not for kids, but the servers were so nice to us and to Addison. They made a makeshift cup with lid and straw for her. They used some kind of plastic bowl and lid and then poked holes in the top for a straw. It was so cute. 
Yes, I did say this was a fancy place. Doesn’t matter though, we are always far too silly for our own good when we go out. At least they had us sitting in this secluded part of the restaurant.
Addison is wearing her new dress and shoes Kyra bought her, along with a new pink bracelet I got her and a new charm necklace that Kyra bought her that had a pink rhinestone “A” on it. She felt very special that night.
On the Ferris Wheel at the Pier.
One morning we all went to get mani’s an pedi’s. This was a big time first for Addison. I wasn’t sure how she was going to do since it requires a lot of sitting and some ticklish feet stuff. But that girl was a natural. She sat there perfectly still and had her nails painted and then her toes clipped and painted. I think it was about 45 minutes. She was the talk of the shop and had quite a bit of attention. But she sat all by herself (we were in chairs across from her getting our nails done) and seemed to love it up. When she was done they cut the normal disposable flip flops down to fit her feet and she walked around the salon with her toes pointed up and her fingers outstretched, not wanting to smudge her fresh paint job. They painted them pink and put tiny white flowers on the thumbs and big toes. SPOILED TO BITS. She may be joining me for these on special occasions now. P 
Such a fun time being a big girl at Kyra’s work.
Dear Addison,
I just wanted to take a few minutes and tell you how special and wonderful you are. I never wrote you a 3 year birthday letter like I had wanted to, and that has weighed on my mind these past 9 months. I want you to know how lucky I am to have you as my daughter. You are such a delight in my life and in the lives of all those around you. You seem to grow more mature and more beautiful each day.
you are the best big sister to your brothers. Austin just adores you and you are so patient and loving with him. You still call him baby Austin. And when you’re playing with him you like to call him “my honey and my sweetheart”. I’m not sure where you picked those sayings up, but you did, and you use them in such an endearing way. You and Ethan have a love hate relationship right now. You’re either playing together in perfect harmony or you’re at each other’s throats. Ethan has definitely learned how to push your buttons and I fear most of the fights are indeed started by him, but you still love him and love to play with him as much as you can. You’re very much the leader in the group and already have a strong Mommy vibe that goes into your playing. You like to Mother your brothers and sometimes they actually go along with it! It’s wonderful to see the three of you play together and grow together.
I see a lot of both your Daddy and myself in your personality. You’re laid back and a peacemaker like you Dad. And you’re organized and meticulous like me. These traits really do blend well together and you’re always fun to be with. Your maturity sometimes surprises me. You make your bed every morning, without being asked. You clean up your toys A LOT more often than the brothers do. You talk with me and with other adults like you are a little lady. And you are so polite and courteous with your manners. Sometimes we do a double take when you say things because you sound like your about 13 years old. You’ve picked up on almost all of the quirky phrases I use throughout the day and you use them yourself. It never ceases to amaze me how much you learn and absorb by just listening to those around you.
You love to do puzzles, color with markers, your favorite colors are pink and purple, you love anything and everything to do with princesses, you love The Friend magazines (you pronounce it “my mag-zine), you love to read, you love to play with your dollies and babies, you are a fairly good eater, your favorite cake is pink with strawberries (but you’ve never actually had a cake like this), you honestly love all the little skirts and shorts that I sew for you (which makes me such a happy Mommy), you love to play dress up and are completely girl when it comes to fashion, jewelry and make up, you LOVE to watch movies and TV shows and have too many favorite Disney movies to list (but Sleeping Beauty has been a long time favorite), you love playing with your cousin Makayla, you don’t like any kind of bug, you like to sit and play the piano, you are a great little swimmer, you always give the best hugs and snuggles, you love shoes, you always put your shoes on the wrong feet, you love ice cream cones, you always have to checks your toes for sleepy dust, you love to save pictures and knick knacks, you love to organize things, and my absolute FAVORITE thing about you… you tell me that you love me at least a dozen times a day.
You have such a spark to your smile and personality and a beautiful heart and soul. I cherish each day that I get to spend with you and love you more than you’ll ever know. Always remember that you are a daughter of God and that you are loved beyond comprehension. Stay true to yourself and to your values and always remember that you can achieve anything you want to. Addison, you hold a special place in my heart as my only daughter and I want you to know that I will always be there for you, supporting you, cheering you on and loving you. I love you!
Love,
Mommy
.For Father’s Day DJ wanted to spend the day out of doors. So after church we packed up the car with food and lots of warm clothes (it was one of those gloomy and rainy June days) and headed out to Whidbey Island. We knew the weather wasn’t optimal for a day outside, but DJ was set on it so we gave it a go. Our first stop was Fort Casey. I hadn’t been to Fort Casey in a good 15 years, so it was fun to go again. The kids had a great time too. Although, because the weather was so gloomy, the fort was a bit too dark for them in places. We will have to remember to bring a flashlight for each of them the next time we go. The dark rooms and stairwells, big cannons and stones to climb on made for a fantastic adventure.
At one point we were walking along the top of the fort and two deer stepped out on the path. We were literally 10 feet from them. I got a bit nervous because one of them looked to have an injured foot and you never know what an animal will do when injured. The kids were a bit stunned too. But the deer moved on and it was all good.
After the fort, we drove over to one of the beaches on the island. The rocky beach is bordered by a massive pile of driftwood. There a millions of pieces of driftwood that go on for miles down the beach. It’s truly beautiful. And because the weather was drizzly, we had the beach practically to ourselves. The signs said no wood gathering, but we couldn’t help snagging a few pieces to take home. DJ made a “driftwood sculpture” for his homemade Christmas gift last year so he thinks of himself as a master of driftwood now and wanted to get some pieces to make more sculptures. I wanted to find the perfect piece for him to make us a sign for our front porch. I was pretty picky about what I wanted so it took a lot of searching to get just the right piece.
The kids absolutely loved this beach. Endless supply of rocks to throw into the ocean, piles of wood to explore, what kid wouldn’t love that?! Austin was dog tired, but he loved it nevertheless and threw a fit when it was time to go. They all did. But the second we were back into the car on our way home, they were out like lights. Then because it was so late and I didn’t have time to cook we stopped into a cafe on the way home for some dinner. It was a super fun day and DJ said it was a great Father’s Day. Too bad late that night he came down with a 24 hour flu and spent the day hugging the porcelain bowl.
Happy Father’s Day DJ! We love you!
This picture was taken in the pitch black. I can’t stop laughing.
Hang onto your shorts, there are a lot of beach pictures.
DJ took about 50 pictures of the three kids, bribing them with candy, and STILL did not get a pic with all three of them looking at the camera. This one came kinda close. The other 49 are very funny. I put a couple of them below so you can see what I mean.
We’ve been doing lots of BBQ’s out at the Wheeler property too. PLud one day and Wheeler property the next. Busy weekends like that always lead to super cranky kids for Mommy on Monday. Yipee!
These two girls are best of friends. Seriously. They love each other like sisters and have the best time playing together. Addison is always talking about Kayla and how much she loves her. So sweet.
This water squirter thing is Ethan’s new favorite toy out at the Wheeler place. Actually, both he and Austin love them. Austin drags it behind him the whole time he’s there and just about falls in the lake when trying to fill it back up. Marc is such a good uncle to these boys and loves to play with them. Especially Austin. Those two have a special bond.
We’ve been taking more trips out to my parents place over the past couple months since the weather is nicer now. It’s so relaxing and beautiful out there and we can’t wait until the addition on the house is done so that we can stay the night and don’t have to make the journey back home each night.
This is as close as we got to a picture of all four of us looking at the camera. This kids seriously do NOT cooperate when it comes to photo taking.
My parent’s garden/yard is truly a masterpiece. It’s gorgeous. And there are some small paths that run through the trees and bushes and this particular day my Dad took the kids on a “secret spy” adventure in and around them. They ate this up like candy, sneaking around in the trees, having an adventure with their Pa Pa, picking flowers, jumping out to scare us. It’s a glimpse of what is to come in future years, when they old enough to go play up there by themselves and we don’t see them for hours at a time. Some of my best memories as a child were the make believe worlds we had in the out of doors.
I have to pause here to recount a story about Austin. The pictures above help tell the story even better. Ethan was playing with the bat and t-ball, hitting balls over and over again. He’s really good at it too, so he was getting a lot of praise and cheers from the adults. Meanwhile, Austin, who watches and copies everything Ethan does, wanted to join in the action somehow. At least that’s what I think was going on his little head, because I turned around and noticed him balancing one of the baseballs on the top of the horseshoes stake (see in the pic of Austin above). He patiently tried over and over to get that ball to stay on top of that skinny stake and once he did he went and got a bat and hit the ball off. He then tried again to put the ball back on, but it just wouldn’t stay up. My Mom and I quietly watched him do all this and I about started to cry right there on the spot. He was so determined and patient and wanted so badly to be like his older brother and it was one of the most innocent and sweet moment I’ve ever witnessed.
The kids got new snazzy life jackets for going out on the boat. This was Austin’s first time out and the life vest kept pushing up on his chin, but that didn’t stop him from about falling to sleep on the ride. I don’t blame him, boat rides can make you so drowsy.
“Smashmellow”, as Addison calls them, around the campfire is now a tradition we have to adhere to after dinner. The kids won’t let us leave without doing them.
And that sums up another fun trip out to see Mam Ma and Papa!