Going to (TRY) to start blogging again...can you believe it?!?!

I have been thinking about starting to blog again for awhile now, so, I'm not promising I'll be any better at it than I was, but thanks to a sweet blogger, who always comments on my blog or when I sign her blog, who has said a few times that she misses my posts, I thought I'd try again! It really isn't that I haven't wanted to, because, I have, it's kinda fun and nice to write/get things out, but ever since having Malia 15 months ago(I know, I never even did a one year post for her! And my header is still her birth pictures from the hospital!!) I just never seem to get on the computer as much as I use to! I don't know exactly why that is because she is a really good and content little girl! She isn't as demanding of attention as Gage always was, but still very active! She goes from one thing to the next! So, here's my little post to hopefully get me started on blogging a little bit again! I think it said that my last post was in January, making it 6 months -almost 7 since I've blogged! Not sure how you mommies do it several times a week!

And just because it's been so long, I'll go add a picture or two of my (cute) kiddos!

Where are you Christmas?

so, i had planned to post a few little things that i made this christmas season, and clearly i never got to them! so before it's valentine's day, i'll post a few pictures. i made a few gifts for my friend, amanda's kids and after i wrapped them i realized i never took pictures of them, so maybe she'll read this and take a pic for me...hint hint...i made my mom a plate sign for in her kitchen that i see i did not take a pic of either! guess i'll have to do that next time we are over! anyway, so, here are the pictures...

i have yet to find stockings for the kids that i really like to have up every year and since this year was tight on money, i found these stockings and decorated them a little for the kids!

then i got this idea from another blogger and thought they were cute and probably easy to do so i'd try it...making the ornaments overall was easy, but getting the tinsel in the tiny opening of the bulb...not the easiest and the glass is not smooth! but they did turn out cute! i might make more for next year! i made one for each nathan and i as well, but only took pictures of the kids'...the theme was the same though, girls got more red and boys got more green!

and this is the ornament that malia made for everyone in the family for christmas. i got this idea from amanda, as she did it with amelya when she was a baby! it's her little hand print with a poem about four snowmen! very cute! i did it for gage's first christmas too on a blue ornament. and every year since gage has made an ornament, except this year. i was really kinda out of ideas and stressed out this year. so i do feel bad about that. maybe we'll think of something for next year!

that's about all i took pictures of this year! actually, i only made a few more things and they were all gifts, but normally, i like to take pictures of everything, so, hopefully, i'll get pictures of those items too sometime soon!

So, where are you Christmas? Just about finally packed up and in a box until next Christmas! praying everyone keeps the reason for the season in your hearts all year not just Dec. 25th!

THREE YEARS and NINE MONTHS...how can that be?!?!

I started blogging when i was pregnant with malia and now she is already 9 months old! time is just flying by her first year! i feel like she's almost one already. i keep having to remind myself that i have three months to go yet. lol it's true though! she is such a happy girl! not a great sleeper, but happy, content and all smiles! she started crawling the other week and within a few days of that started pulling herself up into a standing position against things! gage did not do all that in one week...he was much more content being able to crawl and explore for awhile! she just wants to walk. stand up on everything and try to move from there! with help, she's starting to take a few steps. she got herself up last weekend behind a doll stroller and took three steps across the living! i'm so not ready for this...i want her to be little yet! i'm excited her hair is growing back in finally! we had to do without clips for awhile and just do headbands, but the hair is coming in and although the clips slide out easily, i can get them in! as much as i kinda wanted her to be a little girl, i think she's a big girl. i know she's a little over 20 pounds and this past week i started putting her in 12-18 month clothes...not because they were so cute i just had to, but because they really fit her...not she'll grow into them..they fit! crazy. gage was always a size behind his age so i thought malia would be about that or equal to her age. so i bought a few dresses and outfits on sale last year for spring and summer that are 12 months, i'm starting to think they may not fit come summer...maybe she just had a big growth spurt now though( since in november she was still wearing 6 month clothes) and won't grow so much and will be able to wear those cute outfits come spring and summer after all!

and i don't think it's possible that a week ago gage turned THREE whole years old! how could it have been three years already that i gave birth to my first born? how could it be three years ago in a few days that he underwent almost a 7 hour open heart surgery? and that he survived it? that nathan and i survived it?! all god! praise the lord he has done amazing in these three years, but it still just seems crazy that it's been that long! he's such a cutie and a little smartie! he is just a sponge wanting to soak up everything he can! we are working on potty-training and except for two accidents yesterday we have gone 4 days without any accidents and then today has been great again! so nice to save on diapers!

i am so thankful for these very special gifts from god! he has so blessed me! but i don't know where all that time has gone!

speaking of time...i'm behind on laundry and i gave myself a goal to catch up today...and it's been about 30 minutes now so i need to go fold the towels, put the other load of towels in the dryer, then put another load in the washer! i just might actually catch up by bedtime tonight! yay!

ps-i'm posting without reading over this...so ignore the errors! =)

little miss cupcake

other than the fact that miss malia is a little chubby and has a lot of cute outfits with cupcakes on them, i'm not sure how her nickname has become 'cupcake'! but it's cute and fun!

i didn't realize this until after my groovy granny started calling her cupcake that cupcakes seem to be an 'in' thing right now! malia has about 5 outfits with a cupcake or cupcakes on them and i just bought a shirt at kohls for when she is a little older...since it was on sale, why not, right?!

anyway, so, i was at target, and looking through their dollar section and found several cupcake things! it was fun to find stuff for only a buck! lol

anyway, i found scrapbook paper and embellishments...which are so perfect because of course i'll have to scrapbook how we call her 'cupcake' and all of her cupcake things she is starting to get!

then although i am not ready for this, but it got me thinking about her first birthday and how i can use the cupcake stamp i got on her invitations and my mother-in-law makes cakes and she just did one of those big cupcake things, which i have to admit, i thought was a little odd when i first saw them, but now i'm thinking how cute it could be for malia's cupcake theme!

then i found kitchen towels, oven mitt, and hot pad all with a cupcake on them so i figured she had to have them for her little kitchen set when she is older! yeah, it was so much fun shopping the other day! i also saw an adorable cupcake theme bedroom set, and i would consider doing it, but right now, i just did a room for her that i love and i'm not ready to start over and i think it will make a nice room for her now and through the toddler young child stage. who knows, maybe if the name sticks, we'll be ready for something fun around elementary school age! hopefully we'll be able to find cupcake stuff by then!

my dear groovy granny has been so in love with malia. she's always been a great granny to all of us, i'm the first and only girl and then came four boys, and then a great grandson, and now i think it's just fun to finally have a little girl around again! anyway, she's the one like i said who started the whole cupcake thing and she must have it on her brain all the time because now tonight she called and said she felt like baking...cupcakes...today, which she hardly bakes anymore! but she just baked them and brought them over! i guess it was a good excuse to visit!

(this was her tag on her christmas gift!)

i can't believe my little cupcake is going to be 9 months old already in two days!

merry christmas!

wow. it's just about a week shy of 3 months since my last post! i have wanted to get on here and do a post several times and i just never get to it! not that anyone really cares, but it is kind of fun to do!

life has been so crazy lately. i guess it probably always is though! it seems like i hardly have time to get online and read everyones blogs like i used to...but i still skim them! life at home has been crazy good!

gage is getting so close to 3 years old! i can't believe it. i don't know how he can be turning three years old. he has been through so much, but is still such a stinker at times and loads of fun! he just loves to soak up everything he can! he's so smart. (if you ask my brother or even if you don't ask-my brother will tell you gage takes after him! ha!) and he's so cute! (that my dad claims is after him..lol...actually he does look a lot like my dad with nathan's (my husband)smile! gage is still obsessed with thomas, but likes superwhy, clifford, and elmo too. i am pretty sure we are going to do a thomas birthday party. i'm sort of torn on to invite friends or wait yet. i think it'd be fun and he loves to play with his little friends, but he's only turning 3. but i also know he loves to play with them and it would probably make a great day super fun to him! what do you guys do? even if he doesn't remember it, it'll still make cute pictures for the scrapbook! his birthday always comes up so fast after christmas. i feel like i need to start on his birthday stuff either while doing all the christmas stuff or the day after. i like to make my own invites, but i found some cute thomas ones that might just make it easier on me, plus they are personalized! and they'd be cute in the scrapbook! lol always thinking on that level..as if you couldn't tell!

my sweet malia is almost 9 months old! sitting up, starting to pull herself up and getting so close to crawling! didn't amanda just hack my blog and announce she was born?!?!?!?! i'm positive that could not have been 9 months ago! she's such a sweet happy girl. she doesn't cry much, but when she does, it's a scream. no crying here! she is so much fun to dress and do her hair. it's finally growing back in and i can just barely get her clippies in again!! that was an exciting day for me when i noticed that hair seemed long suddenly and the idea of a clip maybe fitting in again! i know, i might be a dork. but it's so cute! and she's such a doll! or we call her 'cupcake' actually, so a lot of her stuff is starting to become a cupcake theme! she was a lot of fun for her first christmas! gage was the most fun he's been this year too! he didn't care too much about gifts and opening them his first christmas and he was 11 months old. but this year they were both fun! it was exciting telling them all about the meaning of christmas...reading books, watching the christmas story movie, acting it out with the little people nativity scene, making the cake and singing 'happy birthday jesus'...i'm so glad god has drawn both my husband and i to him and that we get to teach our little gifts all about the ultimate gift...Jesus!

i'm going to go add some pictures and then sign off since it's late and my 3rd night in a row going to bed after midnight and we have a breakfast with the family in the morning at my groovy granny's house!

another update or two...from gage's site

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2009 10:00 PM, CDT

A few weeks has once again passed, so I have a few updates on Gage's blood pressure checks.
After Gage's blood pressure check of 108/56 on Sept. 10th, I got a surprise call the next Monday from Kris, at Strasburger's office saying we were going up on the Enalipril. I was very upset, as I was told they were giving him two weeks. So we went from .7 mls to 1ml twice a day. Then he had another check on Sept. 24th. This appointment too, was very discouraging as we moved up on the medicine so did his blood pressure. His first check was 110/48 and the second check was 106/50. There are some slight factors like Gage was sick and a little congested so that makes it go up, but either way, it is still too high. So, the next day Kris called again to increase his medicine to 1.3 mls twice a day.
Then on the 28th Gage got into the fridge and into his medicine. I came in to see most if not all of it on the floor, but I could not be sure he didn't swallow any of it. I called Kris, who told me to take him to the ER to get a blood pressure check, to make sure it wasn't dropping too low. It was at about 94 over something. Strasburger was contacted and had an IV put in incase they would need to give him a counteracting medicine right away and then ordered him to be transfered to the Children's Hospital at Theda Clark to monitor him for about 6 hours, since that is when the medicine would have peaked by. Gage did really good the entire time! They had a Thomas movie for him to watch! The entire time he was there his blood pressure was anywhere in the low 90's to low 100's, which Strasburger was happy to see, but of course we didn't know if this is where he's been running on the new dose or if he actually did swallow some! The whole thing just made me freak out, but God was watching over him and knew the outcome!
This past Friday, the 2nd we had another blood pressure check. We went in really praying that he didn't swallow a little extra Enalipril and that he would still be in the range Strasbuger said is safe for his heart. Stephanie, came to get him and he acted a little odd, not wanting to go. Normally he runs along and plays with her once we are in the room. Friday...not so. He kept telling her "no" and even hid under the chair saying he wanted to take a nap! We think there might have been a little 'white coat or in this case nurse scrubs syndrome' going on from the ER visit and the several pokes to get a blood draw. Once we got him out she took his blood pressure and it was 108/48...once again high. I stated that he was lower in the ER the other day and that Strasburger thought he'd be lower b/c the tests they did didn't show much change in anything else, so they felt he didn't swallow much if any. So, Dr. Hunt said to wait a few minutes and take it again. Stephanie got back on the floor and asked all about Thomas while Gage started to warm back up to her! This blood pressure was better at 98/46! "Thank you Lord...Thank You Lord" just kept running through my head. I have prayed several times daily for a good blood pressure check for weeks and last week was the week God had for it! I expect to get a call from Kris tomorrow, but I'm not sure of what the results are going to be. Strasburger said that if he was 100 or lower, we would not be changing his medicine, but if it was higher we'd need to increase it yet. So, the first check was higher, but he was very unsure of what was going to happen, and then the second check was just what she was wanting, so, if she'll look more at the 108 or 98 I'm not sure. Stephanie thought she'd take the circumstances into consideration, so, Lord willing, she will. If he needs to go up, then that's what we'll do, but it'd be really great to not need a big dose. Please be in prayer for continued good blood pressure checks and peace for Nathan and I(I guess mostly me, as I'm the one who gets upset after each call from Kris)! I have had a hard time dealing/talking with Kris, but after our ER visit and a talk with Dr. Strasburger, I have calmed down and I'm not so upset with her. So, I'm thankful for that peace as well...I'm sure Kris is too! Ha! I will find out when Kris calls if we will need to do another check or not. If the medicine goes up then we will and if not, then we'll be able to wait a little while!
I'd like to get a post out about the walk we have coming up, in less than a week, but I think since this is getting long, I'll leave it for (hopefully) tomorrow! Please be in prayer about where and if you feel led to donate. The cause truly has blessed us and means so much to our family and all the other children, like Gage, that is helps to save their lives as well!
Love,
Nathan, Chantae, Gage, and Malia

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I don't really know how to start with something like this and it's really not me to ask for money, so, I will just say, please pray and do what you feel led to do! We have a team of walkers, Heart Hikers 4 Gage, going down to Milwaukee this Saturday the 10th to "hike" in the Brigg's and Al's Run and Walk for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. All the money raised goes directly to the hospital in return benefiting the children, like Gage, who are always in need of the care CHW provides! A lot of the money raised last year as well as this year goes to the new building that finished up this Spring. Although, I hope it's a long while before we have to see it for ourselves, I'm kind of 'excited' to see just how nice it is! The building has a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, which will directly affect and bless Gage in the future. The rooms are a little nicer for the doctors and nurses to work as well as a little room for the parents! I'm so glad that there is a little nook for the parents in the rooms now! I hated leaving Gage at night during his first surgery and the last surgery, I slept in a chair throwing up at about 5 months pregnant with miss Malia..not fun nor comfortable, but Gage came first! So, I just think the area for family is really nice and I heard they have t.v.'s in the rooms, which might give us parents a little something to do while our children sleep most of the time! So, as you can see, the money raised does so much and truly blesses the children and families who need Children's Hospital. All of you who read Gage's story know how priceless the hospital, doctors and nurses are to our family! So please consider making a (tax-deductable) donation to support our team, Gage, and the many other children this will bless!
Donations can be made to me personally or we have set up a fundraising page you can donate online with: www.firstgiving.com/hearthikers4gage
If by any chance you'd like to still join in on our team, please do so at : www.register.alsrun.com (Team: Heart Hikers 4 Gage Password: gagehiker or contact me at taemittel@gmail.com) -we'd love to have you! Thank you too, to those of you who are walking! Your time and love you put into this to show your love and support to Gage and our family means so much to us! We are touched and feel blessed by it all!
Love,
Nathan, Chantae, Gage, Malia and the Heart Hikers 4 Gage Team

update on gage's caringbridge site

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 12:21 AM, CDT

Gage has had a few more blood pressure checks since my last post. On 8/27 he was 122/64. Since this was so high, the nurse waited a few minutes and checked it again. This time she got 112/58, lower, but still too high. Honestly it was a shock and discouraging. His blood pressure checks have been good, so, I really was not that concerned. Dr. Strasburger decided to start him back on Enalipril. He is on a very low dosage of .7 mls twice a day. She said she was not sure he fully needs it right now, but she's hoping it helps in the long run. If his blood pressure is high it means that his heart is working harder and will result in wearing out and causing his valves to leak. So, the hope is that starting the medicine will cause the valves not to have to work so hard so that leakage he does have does not get worse at a fast rate. Again, it was very hard going back on a medicine after being off 9 months. I know that at the same time, we are thankful for the 9 months and that some children never go off, but the enalipril is like a daily reminder and I don't miss that! But Lord willing, it will help Gage in the long run!
So, today he had his first check being on the Enalipril. It was 108/56, so it's come down, but still high. He's been on the medicine since last Tuesday, and the nurse today said it takes a good week or two to take full effect. So it might help out a little more, but Dr. Strasburger said she'd start low and go up from there as to not shock his body with a big dose right off the bat. So going up won't surprise me, but staying as low as we can would be nice too!
On some other news-we signed up today, as Heart Hikers 4 Gage, to "hike' in the Brigg's & Al's Run & Walk for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin again! Obviously you all know how much CHW means to our family. God has done miracles through the doctors and nurses to give Gage the life he has today! We are forever praising God and thankful for the team of Doctors and Nurses who have taken care of Gage through both his surgies. If you would like to join our team and support us, please visit www.register.alsrun.com -we would love to have you join us! And either way, if you feel led to make a tax deductable donation, please visit, www.firstgiving.com/hearthikers4gage -we really appreciate your donation to help with awesome cause!
Gage goes back for a blood pressure check next week. I'm not sure exactly how long we'll be doing this, but probably at least a few more weeks until we know how much medicine he needs.
A little Sister update-She's getting so big and she's so cute! (Okay, I know, I'm her mom...so I might be a tiny bit biased!) She is rolling over a little bit, but not very often since her big brother just pushes her over as soon as she gets mad. Which is within the first few seconds of being put on her belly! But at least she can and does do it when she gets the chance! She is starting to play so much with hanging toys and she loves to hold her feet or push toys away with her feet. And yesterday she starting giggling outloud-so adorable! Gage just loves her to pieces and is quite the helper and well, Malia, she just loves that big brother of hers...she lights up every time he comes near!
Again, thank you for your prayers!
Love,

Nathan, Chantae, Gage and Malia