Our Little Fam

He Passed!!

2011-03-12T17:51:00.000-08:00

We are so excited! Mike passed the first of his 2 boards today! We are so proud of all his hard work and love him so much for being such a great husband and father.

some pics from christmas to present

2011-02-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

We stole one of my sisters christmas traditions "christmas toes" and painted all our toe nails red for christmas. :)

Alex and his best friend Papa Dave playing with one of his new toys.

Christmas morning, crazy hair and all.

Alex christmas morning.

Chilling in his new chair with the remote. Man he loves his movies.

Falling asleep while eating lunch...sooo cute.

Saying goodbye to my old car :(. Sold in just 12 hours. Happy for the new car!

Dad and Alex taking a nap.

There is a little update. :)

two quick videos

2011-02-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

This is a little old but makes us laugh everytime. :)

Ok so we sing a lot in this but its because we were trying to get him acting out itsy bitsy spider on film which hasnt happened quite yet (it is SO cute). We do this video camera as a video of their lives so at the end we are kind of talking to them. :)

Wishing for spring

2011-02-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

Time is going by so fast right now for us. I can not believe it has been just about a month since our last post. I finished up my rotation at Art City Pharmacy last Friday and was sad it was over. I will hopefully start working on Saturdays for them soon and then cross my fingers I will hopefully have a job there when I am done with school, at least that is the plan. I found out that instead of 400 working intern hours needed for the state for licensure, I need 600. That was the worst news of my month, it means that I need to pick up as many shifts as possible outside of my rotations and work a ton once I am done with my rotations and not long after I have little Mara. We both know that one day this will all be over but yeah it feels a little overwhelming at the moment.
Mike signed up for his boards and has 27 days left which he is worried about but he studies a lot and hopefully will be just fine. He also had bad news this month when he found out that he has 2 boards to pass instead of 1. He will first take the adult echo boards and then hit the books again to take his physics boards. Yuck. But he loves his job and the people there really see the hard worker that he is and appreciate the wonderful work that he does which I am thrilled about.
Alex is so much fun and a wonderful source of joy and energy in our lives. It feels like not a day passes that he does not make you just burst out laughing at something he is doing or getting into. I wish more than anything I could be with him more right now but it is not long off that I will get my wish (around 6 months). The best part about not being with him is that he gets to spend lots of time with his best friend (Papa Dave) and his super loving grandma Anderson. He will still cry a little when I drop him off but it is so cute to hear Papa Dave call him from the bedroom and have Alex go searching for his buddy. Me and Mike feel so blessed to have them so close and appreciate more than we can express their help in this last little push to finish school. As far as what he is like now: he is turning into a slightly picky eater with favorites including ravioli, spaghetti and vegetables. We cut the bottle before bedtime but still make him strawberry or chocolate milk in his bottle around twice a day just to make sure he gets his dairy and a bit more calories for the day, I think this is his favorite thing he gets all day. He walks like a champ and even dabbles at running but its this funny little wobbly run that makes you worry a bit. He loves to draw and play with our pens which he absolutely loves to click on and off. He is finally getting into reading time and will go pick out books that he wants you to read (his favorite is "Heads" and a firetruck book and g'ma and papa andersons). He is turning into a such a climber and has no fear which can be a little worrisome and has led to a few bonks and bruises but its cute to see him take on so much. Today he was able to reach the top of the book shelf by climbing up the foot stool to the rocking chair and then transition over to the rocking chair, stand on the rocking chair and reach the top the shelf. He also loves to talk on the phone or anything that slightly resembles the phone. He wants to go outside constantly and me and Mike can not wait for spring when we can start walking and playing outside with him. He also had his first ride on a motorcycle with Papa Dave which didn't sit so well with me and hopefully will not happen again till he is a little older but he loved it! It feels like he gets sick a lot and I hate that so much but I am hoping once the weather changes it will get better and he will get colds a little less. It is so hard being a kid and not being able to take more for your symptoms. Oh and his hair is finally starting to come in, so light and soft but it is so cute. He loves movies, disney and pixar mainly but loves them. He is like a little zombie when he watches them so I try to make sure it is only when needed, like in the morning as I get ready for work or when Mike has him for the day and has to get in some study time. His favorites right now are despicable me and everyone's hero, if you turn off the TV he will walk over and turn it back on and if you turn off the dvd player he gets all sad. He is extremely independent and wants to do things himself and is a true boy who loves to push cars around (with the cutest little car sound that he makes) and wrestle with dad. Oh and the sleep training worked!! After some books and lullaby's we just say goodnight and he lays down and goes to sleep without a sound, AMAZING, we are so proud of him! Man its crazy how much you can love and how I wish time sometimes would slow down just a bit so I don't miss this precious moment with him.
As far as the pregnancy goes, I feel like a whale and it makes me sad to know that I still have 2 1/2 more months to grow. I have gained 13 pounds so far and Mara is kicking like crazy. I think I would prefer a 7 month term pregnancy if I had a choice. The things I have noticed the most besides the great belly and the little belly button starting to poke out is my feet get so sore from standing all day at the pharmacy. I am so hoping these next to rotations are sitting ones. Oh we talked to the Dr and he is going to induce on May 6th. We were both so happy about this, it means a couple more days with Mara before I head back to school and Mike will use less PTO when she is born. I will finish my last rotation on May 5th which is a little crazy but happy that it will all work out.....that is if she does not decide to come early (super crossed fingers!). If I miss more than 2 days of a rotation I fail it and would have to make the whole 6 weeks up, so yeah an early delivery date would be very very bad. But yeah sleeping is hard and I feel like I flip all night long and I of course am tired more than usual and am usually ready for bed around 9pm. :) But as hard as the pregnancy is I am straight terrified for a new little baby wrecking your sleep schedule and little Alex needing a functional mom, a little worried about how that will all work out. We had another ultrasound that verified the right food was club and if the left foot is it is very mild. We meet with the specialist next month to go through the process. I do wish she did not have this, but I am really at peace with it and feel ready to take what comes and love our little girl and her little casts.
Well sorry that was so long! Off to study for my rotation tomorrow. We have some pics and videos that I will try to post soon.
Love you,
Starli, Mike, Alex and Mara

Updating Wow

2011-01-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

Yes we are alive but barely ok we are making it good in life. Star is at the point in the pregnancy where she is in some pain and is not loving it right now at all, but she is Superwomen and just pushes through everyday. We are rotating our 4 10's so that Alex is watched by mom anderson 3 days a week instead of 4. Star is working at Art City Pharmacy which is nice because it is really 5 min away from the apartment with traffic. I am still studying away for my boards and waiting to hear back from them hopefully next week so I can schedule a date to take the test. Alex is growing like a weed, but he isn't liking the sleep training that is happening right now. We went cold turkey on the bottle with him which he was used to every night before he went to sleep but now that is gone and he isn't to happy about it. To add salt to the wound, we are having him cry himself to sleep which is no fun. Also we found out that Marabelle has a right clubbed foot which we are said about but you we have come to the conclusion that she will not remember it when she is 4 and we are grateful that she is healthy and absolutely beautiful. We will try to post some pics sooner than later.
Well we hope that all is well where are you all are and we love you all.
Mike, Star, Alex, and Marabelle.

a couple more we forgot

2010-12-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

Alex was a bee for halloween. :) So cute!

His costume was 18mo and a little small.

Our little man in his sunday suit playing the piano (one of his favorite things.)

Our cute little xmas tree with a train that goes around the middle. The train has since ended up on the ground so its a little easier access for Alexander. I love Christmas!

just a few quick pics.

2010-12-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

We are having a little girl! Mike finished his program!! Thanksgiving was amazing with Mike stuffing and cooking his first turkey...it was amazing! Mike is now just studying for his board exam and I am 2 1/2 weeks from being done with a rotation. :) Alexander had croup and ended up in the ER for treatment and was doing better but his cough is getting a little worse right now so we will see. We hate so much that he is sick and wish there was more we could do besides hugs. I have to get back to the studies so here are a few pics. This was little Marabelle at 6 wks old. A little alien.

Marabelle's profile :) her little hand is by her chin. 14 weeks old when we found out the sex. Oh and for pronunciation Mara rhymes with Tiara :).

Working with accepting change

2010-11-06T20:57:00.001-07:00

There are some changes that always seem welcomed; Mike finishing school and getting a raise at work, becoming pregnant and watching the little one grow. Other changes come with a little more fear; Mike starts scanning on his own without anyone checking over his scans starting Monday, He has to start studying for 2 board exams, me starting my rotation tomorrow and having no idea what to expect, Alexander going to daycare for the first time starting Monday and the idea of an actual baby with the crazy sleep schedules at some point in the future. Other changes bring sadness; this is especially true with having Alexander go to daycare, I can not fully express how hard it is to not know how it will be for him and wish more than anything that I could just continue to watch him forever. I am completely envious of all of the stay at home moms that I know. Another change that is making me sad is becoming fat once again. I do realize there is a baby growing, but when I know it is only the size of 2 pennies it makes me wonder why it looks so much larger. I hate no longer fitting into my pants and my shirts getting tight and that those maternity clothes are coming right around the corner. But the key is to accept change, move with it, find some joy in it and realize it is just another adventure on your journey, to realize that the hard times will pass and feel like a flicker in time when you look back. I am so grateful that my little fam is on this ride together, Mike has a way of always making me laugh and helping me see the bigger picture and Alexander has this smile and energy that is purely contagious. I am also so grateful for family that listens when I need to vent and are always there with positive encouragement and support. I love you all so much!
Star
P.S. Alexander was the cutest little bumble bee for Halloween although the costume seemed a bit small (crazy it was an 18mo costume and he is 13mo) but hopefully those pics and some new ultrasounds pics will be posted soon. :)

thought we would let ya'll know

2010-10-20T19:07:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, we hope all is going well for you. Star right now is just finishing up here last test for the rest of her pharmacy career except her boards. If we haven't told you guys yet(if I remember right I have) we are pregnant again. We went to the OB on Tuesday and Star is about 10 weeks pregnant, and feeling it. She is sick every morning and her senses are making her gag pretty bad. It sucks that I have to see my wife go through this but Star is a superwomen and I am so grateful for her sacrifice and the strength that she has.
Star starts her 3rd rotation on the oncology floor at UVRMC in about 2 weeks and she is super nervous about it but she has talked to some class mates that have had her preceptor and they said that he is hard but they learned a ton. We will keep you updated as that progresses. Up at school there were some companies that were their doing interviews and she got 8 interviews with companies that included walgreens, rite-aid, ShopKo, Walmart, target, harmons, smiths, and Kmart. Some went really well but she won't really know for awhile. She may have a better job outlook in Utah since she is only looking for part-time.
I am doing good, just trying to get all of my schooling done by the 15th of November then I am done with the cardiac sonography program YEA!!!! Still learning a ton at Central Utah from Dr. John Allen. Like today he wanted me to learn the drugs that my patients are on so I will understand what might be wrong with my patients. I am so grateful though that he has pushed me as hard as he has.
Alexander is growing up to be a happiest little boy that you have ever met in your life. He laughs at everything and is crawling super fast now. He is almost standing by himself and stairs are no problem for him anymore. He stops midway down the stairs, claps for himself, then proceeds to finish his way down the rest of them. The games that he is into right now is crawling to the other side of a door, shutting the door, opening it back up, laughing, then do the same process over. He loves to play pic-a-boo with strangers, but at first he curls into either star or I and then once he warms up to the stranger, he just starts playing games with them.
We love you all very, and hope all is well. Here are some pics of Alexander. Love ya'll.
Mike, Star, and Alex

pics

2010-09-15T20:39:00.001-07:00

love you guys all very much, hope you all enjoy the pics.
mike, star and alex

Alex is one!

2010-09-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my little man is a whole year old! The term time flies has never seemed so perfect than when looking back since the day we found out we were pregnant or better yet since the day I met Mike. We just got back from Fish Lake and it was funny to look back and see what changes have occurred over the past 3 yrs. The first time I was there Mike showed up and proposed (cute) the next year we were married and a week away from giving birth to Alexander, and then this year we have our little one year old. It will be interesting to see what the next years have in store.
Fish Lake was Alexanders heaven though, he loved being outside most of the day and being able to crawl right out onto the porch. He also loved the tons of kids constantly around. He even got to go out on a little fishing boat for a little trip on the lake. I wish I would have taken a pic when he was in his life jacket it was so cute.
He is so active now, crawling and standing next to everything. He knows the doorknob is the way out and will stand next to the door and reach for the door knob. He has this little bye-bye wave which means he would like to go on a walk, although it’s not always possible. He also loves to wake up and look out his window at the horses next door, he just smiles and points, it is so cute. If I am on my laptop he will stand next to my chair, I will put him on my lap and he will just smile and hit all the keys and move the mouse. Yesterday he even started wrestling with Mike slobbering all over him and laughing. He LOVES the tub (even empty), the other day he was standing next to it and just dove into it, I grabbed him thinking he would be hurt and he just smiled. It is really fun to see his curiosity for life. Oh yesterday we fed ducks and he loved it and wanted to crawl after them. He can now kind of climb stairs but is struggling getting back down. I tried instructing him but Mr. Independent that he is just got frustrated so the fence has to stay there for the time being.
Oh Mike has now started his final semester in his program and cannot wait to be finished! I am back in school making up the time I took off when I had Alexander. We are both pushing hard and trying to enjoy our time when we are together. I will try to post some bday pics.
We love you all, Starli and Mike

really quick pics

2010-07-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ok so it has been a while since we have posted anything on the blog but really quickly to sum things up. Star is having one heck of a rotation up at IMC a.k.a Death Star in Murray. She has to leave the house by 7 in the morning, get there by 8 and have most of the patients ready for the heart failure clinic before they open. Usually they have bout 25 patients to see a day. She works hard all day, and then to top it off her preceptor gives her about 1-2 hours of homework a night to research and to report back to her the following day. She doesn't get home usually till about 5:30 or 6 because of traffic and then is able to relax for a little before she hits the books again. Today though she did see a kidney transplant, and has seen stents, valvular angioplasty done on a stenotic aortic valve, and almost saw a heart transplant.
Work/clinical is going good for me (mike). Dr. Allen is pushing me every day to be the best sonographer that I can so when he lets me on my own, I will have no problem letting the doctors know what I see. Other than that, things are going really well. Alex is growing up so fast, he is crawling all over the place, talking(babble) like crazy, and has 4 TEETH NOW!!! Last time we went to the doctors he was 85% in height, 60% in weight, and 96% in head size, so he is growing into his head :). He loves animals, outdoors, playing with papa dave who constantly makes him giggle. He favorite foods are top ramen, watermelon, pickles, celery, and pretty much everything else. You name it and he will try it out by using his pointer finger and making sure it feels right, and then shoving into his mouth and gagging because it was to much. Star and I have become really good at trying to get out all the stuff from his mouth.
Enough said, we love you guys, and hope all is well and we hope you like the pictures.
P.S. Alex got a condition called Black Hairy Tongue(he got it after taking an antibiotic) EEEWWWWWW!!!!!!

Our little man , He loves the camel back , Our fun day in ghost towns

Grandpa Salmond Cowboy hat,

more pics on our ghost town day

older one but cute, Best family picture yet,

alex's great grandparents (he just turned 90),

His first sucker, turned his tongue blue for awhile (he loved it!),

his first car,happy july 4th

He is mobile

2010-06-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

So Xander is mobile. He started crawling around 2 weeks ago (well its more of a scooty thing, but the Dr says that is not important) and now has some speed and a little more independence. We went in for his 9 month appointment last week and he is in the 50-60th percentile on weight, 85th percentile on height and 97th percentile on head size. You would think his head would just look huge but it kind of just fits his body. He is just super-sized and no longer fits in outfits less than 12 months. He is developing a strong personality and becoming more of a little man every day. He also LOVES the outdoors, if he is fussy all you have to do is raise him to the window, open the door, go for a walk, really anything where he can see the outside. I didn't think anyone was born with that but he really adores it outside and has since day one. Oh and Mike got a road bike and we bought a bike trailer for Xander and go road biking now. I LOVE IT!! I used to road bike a couple years ago and did not realize how much i missed it till we started. We are going about 5 miles a day and its truly one of the best part of our days.
I finished the lecture portion of my school and had 4 whole weeks off to spend with Xander. I loved it so much but admit there were days I missed school. There was one day he just wanted to scream for 2 hours, did not matter if i bounced, rocked, tried to feed, sang or hummed he just wanted to scream. Mike walked in the door and he just fell asleep in his arms. I felt relieved and upset at the same time, what magic did he have that I lacked. The 4 weeks are now over, the house is spring cleaned and although I will miss Xander, I was excited to go back to learning.
I started my 1st rotation, "Alcoholism and other drug dependencies". It is amazing so far!!! I have learned so much about addiction and the brain and the struggles facing those in recovery and addiction. I hope I can find the ways to apply it once I am done. Mike said to say "Booo" here since its been a little hard to have me gone more (hard for me too), but you do what you have to do and hopefully enjoy the path.
So Mike is finishing up his summer semester this week and still working full time at the clinic (doing ultra sounds of the heart). He LOVES it there and is really picking it all up incredibly fast. His preceptor is amazing and helps him so much to become the best. He pushed him really hard but most days Mike appreciates that.
He is the BEST daddy!!! He makes Xander (or Alex to him) giggle and laugh all the time and is constantly helping out with him. I am so glad I married the man I did, not only because he is my best friend, but because he is the most amazing father and I know that Xander will learn from him and be a better man because of him. For fathers day I thought a lot about the amazing father he was and how grateful I was for all those that had helped him become who he is and for the man he pushes himself to be and for the inspiration that gives me constantly.
Well sorry for the length, its just been awhile. I will get some pics/videos on soon.
Loves,
Star

one more video

2010-05-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

this seems to be at the end of our to do list :)

2010-05-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry there is such a delay from post to post, we seem to focus on other stuff (school, xander, work, sleeping etc) and this gets kind of put on the back burner. So I have one real test left!!!! Well till September when I have to make up what I missed from the pregnancy. But one test left till I am off for 5 weeks!!! SO SO HAPPY! Mike is amazing at his new job and the doctor he is working with said he wants to hire someone new that is "just like mike". Such a nice compliment to his hard work. Xander is growing like a weed - he is 7 1/2 months old and we are in the transition of switching him into 12 month outfits because he is outgrowing the 6-9 months. Crazy and cute. Oh and he is the proud new owner of 2 new teeth :), he gets a little grumpy for about a day when they come in but it has not been that bad. He is such a strong kid with an amazing independance to him (mostly just comes off as stubborn right now) and he LOVES the outdoors! We are going to try and post some videos so hopefully you can see his cute personality. We are so thankful for all the support we have and the love from all our friends and family (xanders grandparents are really his best friends right now), we could not be doing what we are doing without their help and can not say enough of how thankful we are. Loves, Star, Mike, Xander

Missed Pics

2009-11-24T21:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry just realized I never posted some of my favorite pics. These are from about a month ago. Sorry there are kind of a bunch - you kind of go camera crazy :)

Time Flies

2009-11-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

Wow it's been 2 months. I do not think time has ever moved this fast. School is now back in full swing and stress levels are around a 9 in our home. Mike watches the little guy most days of the week and works during the weekends, while I go to school and work one night a week, and then on top of that we have to study for school and Mike has to do his online classes and try to find the time to shadow. We are SO thankful for the support system we have and all the help we get with watching the little guy so we can sleep after staying up all night studying for an exam or so we can just hit the books or so we can go grocery shopping after a month of not finding the time. Our mom's are what are keeping us afloat. We love you Mom's!! And Alexander is FAR from being an easy baby so thank you for just loving him through the hard times!
Ok so once upon a day Alexander was very little, and then he discovered food. At his 2 day appointment he was just past his birth weight and by 2 weeks I believe he had gained a pound. His little cheeks and legs starting filling out and he was looking more and more like a normal chubby little baby. So now 2 months later he has doubled his birth weight and is now 12 lbs. We went from breast milk to formula because he was having problems, then back to breast milk, then to another formula, and then another, and finally we struck gold with the food that works for him. Its called Lipil Nutrimigen and it is the only food we found that does not cause him to curl up in pain and cry all the time from stomach pains, and his bowel movements are normal and almost breast milk looking which is amazing after our journey, it does however STINK so bad! Oh and its like 20-26$ every 3 days. Thank heavens for WIC.
Halloween was fun and after putting the little man in his tiger costume we took some pics and headed out with my brother for his first "trick or treating", which entailed standing on the sidewalk watching my brothers kids trick or treat for about 4 houses, get cold and head back home. But it was a memory.
Oh and he is really starting to smile which is SO fun. His first big responsive smile was right before a test last Friday, which I think was good luck and helped me pass. Mike is done with school for the semester on December 4th but has LOTS to do before then - like a test a day.. BOO! But we do what we have to do and hope for the day when things are not so chaotic. Man having a kid is HARD! But man he is the cutest little guy and all you have to do is look at him after a long day and you can't help but have a smile cross your face. Here are some pics of our chubby little bug (or squirt as Mike calls him).
Love you all! Oh and Welcome Home Jeff!! :)
Star and Mike

Alexander is HERE!!!!

2009-09-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ok so let me tell you our story that has happened since the last time we have posted. Star is back in school and just waiting for Alexander to come into the world. On 10th of September while Star was in class, she felt a "gush" and so we decided to investigate it by going to the hospital and talking to our doctor. Test were taken, and nothing was out of the norm so we went back home disappointed. Little did we know that Alexander had a plan up his sleeve, Star took her test the following day and passed it only missing 3, and then we came home that Friday night and celebrated Star passing her test.

The following morning we slept in till about 11, woke up had breakfast, and got ready for our to do list for the day. At about 3:30 while we were walking out the door, Star felt another "gush" and then another one about 10 min later. We decided that on our way to go do our "to do" list we would stop by the hospital and see if this was "Normal". On our way to the hospital, we were laughing, joking, singing songs and living it up.
(Star here to type some) Ok so on our way I had yet another "gush" and had to scramble to keep the seat and my pants dry because it was such a big one. We thought this might be something but I was having no contractions and was in no pain and with all the other false labors and what not knew that we would get there and they would say the line I have heard a thousand times that this was all normal. So we didn't really pack a lot of stuff and left the stuff we had packed in the car because I thought we would be in and out. Well....we go in and they do their little test (a pH strip) and it was blue, which meant my water had broken. So the nurse is talking about starting pitocin and starting the contractions and I was looking over at mike shocked and terrified that this was it...we were going to have the baby. I all the sudden didn’t feel ready and kind of wanted to leave. Weird.
Well they stick on IV in my hand (OUCH- the bruise is just now fading away a week later), and start the drip. I guess the policy is to start pitocin at a 6 and you can raise it 2 every hour (I think) and 20 is the max. So yeah 7 hours later and bored out of my mind it was maxed to a 20 and I was waiting for the contractions so my body would start dilating. It was not long after that I heard a "pop" and nearly got knocked to the floor with pain. We called the nurse in and she made it just in time for the next one, she helped me breathe through it and asked if I was ready for the epidural which I quickly let her know I was. So 15 min later I am pain free and so super grateful for modern medicine. Well I guess the contractions (that I could not feel :)) were compressing the umbilical cord and stressing the baby so they stop the pitocin and have me lay on only one side and give me oxygen. After everything was calmed down me and mike decided to get some sleep while we waited.
So an hour and a half later (1 am) the nurse comes in the check me and I have gone from a dilation of a 3 to a 9 almost a 10. They want the baby to move down more so again we just chill. Around 3 am the nurse comes in to do some practice pushing. I do one and she stops me and mike asks if that is the head. Well I was told not to push till the doctor came in. So the Dr comes in and they bring in a mirror so I can watch (AMAZING) and 3 pushes later Alexander is out and getting cleaned up. I was so happy there was no episiotomy or stitches. They said he was 5 lb 13 oz and I was shocked by how little he was. Oh and he was 18 inch long. They do the APGAR test and he gets an 8 then a 9. Then they hand him to me and the moment feels like your dreaming. I was looking at the face of the little guy that had been growing in me.

(Mike again)

As soon as Star is pushing to get the baby to drop with the help of the nurse, I notice that there is a little grey thing that I can see and lo and behold it is the head of Alex. I was like “Star I think that is his head”. In response she says “What does it look like, and what color of hair?”, and I respond “Grey”. Soon after the doctor comes in to get ready for Alex and then about 10 min later Alex is born!!!!! As soon as he comes out, they get his umbilical cord ready and the doctor lets me cut it which was a really cool experience for me. They then rush him away to clean him up and then they pass him to star and that was one of the best moments in my life was to see my wife/mother hold our son. Star then passed him to me and I was in shock and an instant love for the little guy that I was holding in my arms. I didn’t want anything to happen to him from that point on and never knew that I could love my child as much as I love him.

Star fell asleep and they took the baby to the nursery to get him all cleaned up. A couple of hours later, star wakes up and is then escorted to the bathroom with me one side and the nurse on the other (her legs were like Jell-O and she had to walk like Frankenstein). Star is then moved over to the post partum room. A little while later the pediatrician came in and gave us an update on Alex, come to find out his temperature was low, and so was his blood sugars which meant that there might be a chance that Alexander has an infection or something in him so they started to do a bunch of tests (CBC, Spinal Tap) and put him in the special care unit.

For the next 2 days, we were up every 3 hours to go and feed him, and waiting for the “ok” from the doctor to send Alex and us home. On Tuesday all the tests came back negative, and they attributed his issues to his size (he was now regulating his temp and sugars well) and we were free to go. Two days later we had a doctor’s appointment for Alex and he said that he is doing amazing and has only lost 1 oz from his birth weight. Star and I attribute it to the 3 hour feeding sessions that we were having for the past 2 days.

(Star here) Yeah Xander and I are still learning the ways of the cow so feeding sessions are a little lengthy but we are getting better. We are up about every 3 hours and feeding is now down to about an hour. I was supposed to get right back into school, but things were not as easy as I thought they would be, so I am taking a leave of absence from school for one month (I still have a couple tests that I have to do and what not but no lecture – yippee). We are loving our time with Xander and are in awe of him every day and how handsome he is. He has been a calm peaceful baby so far which has been wonderful for us. We feel like we learn more everyday about the challenges of having a baby but are enjoying the adventure. It is crazy how much you can love a little child and how worried you can be for them from the first time you see them. Well sorry for the length….hope you all enjoy the pics. (I wish I had makeup on in more of them :))

Love you all!

Star and Mike

no baby yet :(

2009-09-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

So we haven't had Alex yet and we are happy about this for the first time in awhile because we just got back from fish lake with stars side of the family and it was amazing that we didn't have to worry about a baby and just to enjoy our time with each other and fishing. We will do a full blog tomorrow but here are some of the pics from the trip. Note from star: I hate this pics because I look like a whale, but love that mike doesn't think so and I am glad I have the excuse that its because I'm a week or two away from having a baby. Pointing at the lake from our cabin. Our little cabin. (same cabin where me and star semi got engaged last year)
Fishing with Keenan.
An amazing rainbow over the lake.
Taking a funny pic in the cabin - love this one.
The rest are just me and star and all her family that was there.

Impatient Parents

2009-08-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Wow we really are not very good at blogging. It is quickly turning into a bi-monthly thing.

Today is my last real day of relax with nothing on the to do list, just doing what sounds good at the moment. Me and Mike were really really really hoping to have Alexander here by now but with all our efforts nothing worked. I drank raspberry tea and took primrose oil pills, we went walking and even skipping, oh and Mike tried maternity acupressure points but Alexander is being stubborn and not budging. On Sunday night we had this ray of hope as I started getting contractions that were about 5 min apart and after 4 hours we went into the hospital and they measured the contractions for an hour (which were consistent around 2 min apart 30-60 seconds long) but after all that I was still just 1 cm dilated and thick, so they gave me a shot of morphine and said it was probably just early labor, well 10 hours later after the morphine had worn off I was back to no contractions and after my doctor appt I was still just 1 cm dilated. What was that about?? My bodies joke doesn't seem that funny. But me and Mike both understand when the baby is ready he will come.

So no baby and school starts Friday. I work tomorrow so this was my last real day to sleep in and relax before school hits and baby one day makes an appearance. Funny thing is I don't really like relax days - I just get bored, but I think once the baby is here and I am crazy stressed about school I will miss days with boredom.

Mike started his classes at Weber and has been studying a lot. He is such a good example to me and makes me kind of excited for the nights when we are both sitting at the table studying together. He is working so hard with work and shadowing and school work and I really feel so lucky to have him in my life. Mike makes me feel beautiful and amazing even when I look in the mirror and see this huge version of myself or I sleep for 12 hours. He tries to take on everything and I have to constantly fight him so that I can do things on my own and even do stuff for him. He is too good to me! We celebrated our one year anniversary on Aug 2, and were both blown away by how fast this year went and how much has happened. We took about a week off from everything and just played games, laid in bed and talked, went fishing and just enjoyed the time together, it was the perfect. I look back over my life and feel Mike is the best thing that has ever happened to me and am so excited that we get to spend the rest of this adventure together.

Wow sorry you can tell I am in a lovey mood today and miss my husband who is at work. :)

So once the baby is here I will post some pics and let you know the story. :)

We love you all so much and really are thankful for all the love and support you give us!

Star and Mike

WE ARE ALIVE :)

2009-06-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well hello everyone from the Anderson family. Yes we are still alive but we have been super super busy. To start things off, Star is finally done with her first year of pharm school, YAY!!!!!! She didn't have to take any of the classes during the summer so it is super good times. We are going on 3 months left and counting until Alexander K Anderson is born, and Star is able to sleep hopefully once again. I finished my spring semester of school about 2 weeks before Star and was really happy with my grades. I am still working at the hospital as an orderly, and I somewhat got accepted into the echo cardiology program up at Weber State. I started shadowing some of the techs over at the Central Utah Clinic to get some time shadowing under my belt but am still waiting for the Doctor to give it the ok for me to do my clinicals there, so we are crossing our fingers.
Star and I moved to Springville during all of this chaos, and now live 1 block away from mom and dad Anderson which we love. The new place is so nice and quiet compared to the interstate noise that we had at the other place. We just have to worry about the robins and the bird choir at 5:30 in the morning waking us up (loved Julies idea of putting a fake owl out there). We are really loving the new place though, a big back yard with a play area, a lot of kids around, really quiet, and just a perfect place to start our new family. It really feels like living in the country.
After we had both finished school and before Star started her internship at the Walgreen's (working 6 weeks for 40 hrs per week), we decided that we were going to take a vacation for a week to relax and hang out with each other before the chaos started again.
The vacation started off with boating with Max and Jewel and the gang at Utah lake. I tried to go tubing on a small tube and just ended up drinking a lot of nasty lake water and getting very sore arms. The next day we slept in and relaxed and then played games with tom and Julie and dad Salmond (we are not big fans of battle star galactica!!). The next day we went and fed some ducks over at a pond in springville, there were some monster fish that came up and starting eating the bread and Star jumped up. It was so cute, Star was worried about the little ducks and that they were going to get eaten by the fish. So so cute. Then on Monday we went fishing up American Fork canyon, and got onto our raft that we bought last year and yes it still floats. I was scared out of my mind that there was a hole or something in it but star was like "lets do it!!!" Super fun, and no there wasn't a hole, and no we didn't catch any fish but we did play go fish. The last day we decided that we would go to the zoo with mom and dad Salmond. We did a scavenger hunt where we got a list put together of things that we wanted to see. For example two young people in love, the tongue of a Giraffe, a kid picking his nose, an adult picking his nose, etc. We got most of them besides the kid and adult picking their nose. It was really fun to go with them and to get away from the world for a little bit. Overall it was a great vacation and much needed and although we are worried about our relationship changing with a new little baby, its times like this that bring us closer and we hope we always find the time to get away and enjoy each other as best friends just out having fun.
We are getting ready for Alex (xander to Star) to be born in September, and star is (in my eyes) really not looking pregnant but she would tell you other wise (note from Star: ummmm I have gained a CRAZY 25 lbs already....WHOA!!, yeah I can only think of 2 shirts that fit me before and still fit, not so fun. We thought about posting star's big pics, but I really hated that idea, so sorry for all you guys that don't get to see me in my fatty state :P) . Star is still trying to get used to the positioning that is most comfortable for her for sleeping at night, and with the weight gaining thing, but we just have to keep on remembering that it is a baby and that all this is worth it in the end. We are really grateful that we are having a baby, and are both really excited.
Star is learning a lot at her internship at Walgreen's, but is missing her friends as Costco. She is actually going to start working at Costco next Thursday and is not excited about working almost 50 hrs a week but is happy that she will be getting paid for her time and that she gets to work with the girls again. She has picked up the Walgreen's system in 4 days, and is able to help out the customers, and get the prescriptions into the data base. She now has just 5 weeks left of the internship and then will continue to work at Costco, working toward her 600 hrs needed by the state for her pharm license.
We got a DVD made of the ultrasound today from the lady that I am shadowing at the echo place, so now we can watch Alex whenever we want (the clips are SUPER fast though but its really super cute to see Alex sucking his little thumb and waving and bringing his foot up to his head) .
We really hope everything is going well for you guys wherever you might be and hoping that you are safe and healthy. Mu ch love-Mike and Star

Intro to Iggy

2009-02-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

This is the little introduction to little Iggy. Me and Mike LOVE this pic! I tried to put arrows in to make it easier to see...but after a couple tries and not getting it to work decided it it easy enough to see :). The head is the easiest part, than right below are the two little arms and than further down you can see one leg sticking out and the other leg is directly in the middle of his body pointing right at you. When we saw it live he/she was all wiggling, so so cute. The reason we have it is another story of my silly troubled pregnancy. It all started at week 5 when we found out I was pregnant (we went to the doctors to find out why I was cramping, sleeping 15 hours a day and hadn't started my period), but the Dr thought it was ectopic and so the next day we had our first ultrasound and saw that Iggy (named for the icky "iggy" black spot that he/she was) was placed right where he/she was supposed to be. The next week I started spotting and went back in for another ultrasound and again saw that things were going good and saw the little heartbeat. The next week I started cramping and spotting again and once again went in only to find out things were good and this time we got to hear the heartbeat (133 bpm). I started getting nauseous soon after this and finding out that I have to eat constantly to fight off the nausea. We had our first real Dr appointment the next week (week 8) and found out the spotting was most likely caused by my friable cervix (which basically means your cervix is more fragile than normal and has a tendency to bleed). Than this past Friday I started getting really bad cramps through my back and lower pelvic area and after just trying to brush it off most the day and night, me and mike ended up in the ER at midnight. After yet another ultrasound I was thrilled to see Iggy was still alive and doing well, but it came with some slightly scary news about where the spotting was coming from and the cramps. Next to the placenta there was a darker gray spot that was called a "small subchorionic hemorrhage", meaning my uterus (for no known reason except stomach stress) had bled out. We were informed that it was only 1 cm and they usually don't worry about them till 3 cm but that I needed to avoid standing for long periods of time and keep my activity light, that my Dr needs to keep watching it, and that it can either heal over time or cause a miscarriage. So now happy to get an answer to some of the problems and that Iggy is growing well, bummed that I just eat all the time and am a soon to be fat lazy head. :) We know the risks of losing Iggy are there and are trying to stay somewhat aloof to what happens, but I admit, seeing Iggy move and having a little pic to look at makes it more difficult. We just hope for the best and are happy for the chance we might get to have this little one. Well hope that is a good (belated) update for everyone. We love you all so much and are so thankful for such an amazing support system that we have. We will try to keep you updated amidst the busy school life and crazy pregnancy.
Loves
Star and Mike (and Iggy)

Start off on the right foot

2009-01-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since star and i have made a post here on the good ol' blog spot and we thought it would be a good idea to update everyone on how we are doing. Star has started school (Monday), which she was not to happy about but is getting into the swing of things again after the long break. She got her intern set up for the summer with WalGreens where she is going to work for 6 weeks for FREE!!! YES she is so excited about it (well kinda not but who likes to work for free right :)
I started school on Wednesday, and think this is going to be a really good semester. I am craming to get my application done up to the Echo program up to Weber State which is due on Saturday so cross your fingers for me. I am taking classes that are from professors that star and i have both had before so it is a joyful experience for both of us.
Our Christmas was AMAZING!!! we spent alot of time with both of our families which we enjoyed very much; with the Christmas party up at Tom and Julies which Cassidy did a great job with. We also had a great time over at my parents house on Christmas Eve, sucky part is that we both got sick and slept most of the day on Christmas, and then had to battle it the rest of the break. All in all though the break was amazing, but we are both bummed that it is over, yet excited for the next semester of school. We wish that all is well with everyone, and know that we love you all very much.
mike and star
P.S Grats on the win Utah (SHOT OUT FOR TOM)

A needed break starts for me as mike prepares for fearful finals

2008-12-11T09:59:00.001-08:00

I am in school as i write this and I so relieved. My group had to get in front of the entire class today and do a presenation on Congestive Heart Failure and a drug treatment. Yeah it was SUPER fun! But gladly we went second and so now my stress is gone and the following 12 groups are just taking their turns. When I leave today I do not have to be back for 3 weeks!!!! HAPPY HAPPY DAY!! I so need the sleep and my body needs to become normalized again as far as stress and sleep go.
Mike is finally getting better!! We found out that he had bronchitis, but he got on some antibiotics and now is feeling much better. He studies all the time and is a little overwhelmed with finals just around the corner (1 mon, 2 tues and 1 thurday), but i know he will do amazing! I need to make sure not to push him to relax with me for one more week!
We love our christmas tree and pulled the spare bed out to the living room to sleep under the christmas lights, i know it sounds like we are 5, but we love it! We have slept there for most of last week.
Well I think that is a good update and I can already feel that I am crashing from too little sleep so I hope all of this makes sense! Love you guys so much and cant wait to see you all soon.

the tree and fun times with the camera

2008-12-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

2008-12-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

OK we have decided we need to write on this more, when you miss a month its getting bad. So lets see...Mike is still sick and coughing all the time, so he called in sick for work and we are going to the Dr to make sure its nothing bad. We also got him some more medicine so hopefully he will feel better soon.
I just had a week off of school for "Thanksgiving break" which was sweet for the sleep - I was awake for 53 hrs studying before that last test (hopefully that will not happen again cause my body hated me for some time). But I have passed every test so far so :) :) :), and I am out of bio chem and actually learning about drugs....bad part is I am learning them so fast that no one in the class could retain what they are learning, but they said its to get the basics down. We had thanksgiving at Mike's uncles (David) and it was really a lot of fun and amazing food and a little awkward for me but turned out great.
On Saturday we started a Christmas tradition and cut down our very first Christmas tree. We went with Tom and Julie and Q and had a great time playing in the snow and riding on the four wheeler. We absolutely love the tree and didn't need to cut that much off. but as you can see the lights don't go right to the top because we (me and mike) are not that tall, so we will figure that part out later.
Mike is pushing hard in school and has a final this week and a presentation and 2 tests...you can tell the semester is coming to an end. Crazy, but its just one day at a time and living at the library. Mike is still working at UVRMC and loves it and they love him, he worked the last 5 out of 6 days which i was pissy about because it was my weekend off, but got to do what you got to do.
Oh and i shadowed at the hospital pharmacy and LOVED it, I think that is where i want to end up, it was so much more comprehensive and you saw more than just a prescription, you saw the diagnosis and the rest of the treatment. I felt it was utilizing more knowledge and you were part of a large team working together for the patient. Amazing. (Oh and they had a robot!)
Well it will be a busy 2 weeks so we may not write but after that its Christmas break "YAHOO" and so we will write then. We love you all so much and wish we could see you all more....one day.
Happy Holidays
Star (and Mike)

sick and tired

2008-10-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

wow sorry we kind of fell off the face of the earth there...I would like to place the blame on school. It feels like that is all we do now...study, study oh and than more studying. I crave weekends for the sleep and time i get to spend with mike but wish they lasted much longer.
Oh happy news...I got my first 100 on friday on my test over biochem and genetics. YAY! I attribute it to the greatest husband that exists...he stayed up till 3 am with me on thursday going over flash cards and than had to work at 7 on friday. I kept telling him to go to bed but he just wanted to help. Man I love him but also worry for him. He has been sick for the last 2 weeks with this cold and can not seem to kick it and staying up all night and not sleeping doesnt help.
And than the weekend was here and we always want to make the most of it, so friday night we went to tom and julies to play rock band 2 (it was so super fun and mike is getting so good at playing the guitar) but ended up staying up till like 2 and crashing at their place. We slept in and came home and took like a 4 hr nap but that kind of back fired because we were not really tired till like 2 again and mike had to work at 7. We are both sick now and I feel our bodies are in a full fledged war with us over our silly stay up all night actions. I got to sleep in today and I dont have school tomorrow so mike is getting the brunt of most of this. So the plan...when he gets home in 1 hr i will have soup ready for him and then let him crash for the night. Poor mikee.
I can not wait for the one day when we can actually live normal lives and see the people we love more.
Love you guys!
Star

Birthday times

2008-09-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Mike and I are now one year older :). Mikes B-day was last sunday and mine is today. I had a calculations test this morning which was the worst b-day present ever! But I got 100% and that gift I will take. :) I have another test this friday which is the most failed test in the first year...so yeah a wee bit scared, but no matter what happens life goes on. :)
It feels like Mike has non stop tests right now. He had one on saturday, and has another one tomorrow. He still loves school but the test drama kinda sucks right now.
Well back to studies, my hope is that i live in the library this week and not to slack, a little unlikely, but its a hope.
We love you guys and hope all is going well, let us know if you need any help.
Starli

the week is almost over

2008-09-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well then, this week is almost over and I am still wakeing up almost every hour which starli is loving (sarcastically saying :) but i am going to the doctor tomorrow to find out how i can make it through the nights for both of our sakes. Starli still hasn't found out what is all entailed with her new position as the treasure of her class. I have a physiology test that ends on saturday but i am feeling confident about this one, and both of our classes are going really well for both of us. Other than that this week has been just really busy for both of us with me working/going to school and starli studying for her 2 tests for the upcoming week. We are wishing that everything is going perfect for everyone and we will keep ya'll updated soon.
love ya
mike

another weeks begins

2008-09-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Another fun week of studies :) :) (trying to be super optimistic) - I was elected last week to Treasurer which is super exciting. I have no idea what that entails but it will be a good addition to a resume when I am trying to find a job or when I try for a residency.
Last week I did pass my test (YIPEE!!!) - so I got yesturday off and some much needed sleep! I feel bad for Mike because he worked at 7 on sunday and 7 on monday and is really super tired today (it also doesnt help that he is having a SUPER hard time sleeping through the night (I think he woke up every hour last night). He has a physiology test this week so I hope he will get some good sleep these next couple days....I think he is going to take some sleep aids for a bit till his anxiety calms down. Not so fun.
Oh and last sunday was Mikee's Birthday!! He is now 24 :). He had to work which was no fun but we had his favorite breakfast after work and than had dinner with his family (who is all in town) and sang him happy birthday with his pumpkin pie (his pick). He loves his new headphones and razor (a little scarry since it vibrates) and we are getting him a Y hoodie to go with my U hoodie next week :). Oh and with that note - congrats to the Y for #11 and U for #19 - we are excited for the TCU games coming up!
If i had a wish it would be never to work or have school and just play with mikee all day --- oh and sleep in!
well so much for wishes :)
love you guys

WOW what a week

2008-09-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well to start things off, starli and i stayed up till the wee hours of the night studying for my physiology test, and after i took the test i got a 56 on it but come to find it it wasn't graded right so we are both hoping that i got better than that. Starli has also been studying for her bio chem and ochem sections for the up coming weeks, which she has a test for this friday. We both took the weekend off and relaxed since we were both exuasted from our studies. On friday star had a great time at her intership at Costco which she is hoping to get a job if time permits, and also she put her name in for treasurer at the school( and elections were held today so cross your fingers that she got elected :) We were both sad to hear that Grandpa Kenney died this past week, but we know that we will be able to see him again, and that now he is now in a better place with no worries or pains. our heart goes out to Mama Anderson, and her family Hoping everything is going great for everyone, and we will talk to y'all soon.
love
mike and star

yay!

2008-09-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

i missed one :). I am excited and nervous because the next one will be much harder covering pharmacy law and biochem - but I am really excited to finally be getting into science! Mike just finished his first test of the week and is in # 2 as i write this- he felt pretty confident about how he did and I have no doubt he will feel the same after this next one. His physiology exam friday or saturday has a little more nerves wrapped around it but mike is studying hard and will do amazing! Our days are busy busy with lots of studying but we are super happy to have such a great support team in each other. Well back to class :)
Hope all is well
Star

the test jitters

2008-09-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

I just finished my first exam at USN. I feel pretty confident but that means little till you see the score. I have to get above 90 or I have to re-test on monday, and I so badly want another three day weekend. Me and Mike are studying more at UVU's new library (BEAUTIFUL!!), and are covering what we need to. I love that feeling of studying and feeling that much more confident going into a test. Mikes first tests are next week. I think he has 2 on tuesday and one that goes over the last part of the week. He will have the jitters soon but I know that he will do amazing by the amount of work he is putting in. He really is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. I am still struggling with getting the sleep that I need and am now going to try taking unisom at night and see if that helps. I CAN NOT wait to sleep in tomorrow!! Well its about time to head back to get our scores so I will let you know later (fingers are crossed).
Love you guys!
Star

a crazy week

2008-08-29T06:09:00.001-07:00

Mike just left for work and today is my first day of my pharmacy internship. I was really excited that my site was Costco because its right up the street and they get to wear jeans. :)
I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping this week and it was really starting to affect my attitude and patience. I felt so bad for mike because I would get all moody for no big reason or just as i was getting in and out of bed would be waking him up, but because he is super amazing he was so supportive and loving and never got upset just tried to come up with ways that might help me sleep through the night. So FINALLY after 3 days and around 10 hrs sleep, I finally slept through the night last night and woke rested and smiling.
Marriage is really truly amazing! I just am so amazed by how it feels to always have a partner in crime that when things get hard you don't just have to face it alone that you have a buddy to help lift you up or just hug you and let you know its all going to be ok. A best friend to help strengthen your relationship with your heavenly father and bring more peace into your life. I feel like I do not deserve all that I have been given and hope everyday that I am bringing as much joy to mikes life as he is bringing to mine!
Mike started school 2 days ago and was a little scared (because like mine the teacher came off intimidating), but he is so excited and is even looking into adding another class to his 13 credit hour load. He studies a lot already and even has a friend of mine (who decided to take on the same major as mike) in a lot of his classes which is an instant study buddy. So far his classes include: statistics, physiology, fitness for life and an entry class for exercise science (not to mention he is also working like 24 hrs a week).
Well we have a 3 day weekend ahead of us today and are SUPER excited for the break already :). We are helping lay sod on sat and hopefully are doing a double date thing with lee.
We love you guys and are so grateful for you. Hope all is going well.
Star

The White Coat Day

2008-08-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a very eventful day here in our world. So I (mike) decided that i would drive up with my loving wife to school because she had to be there at 9 and also the white coat ceremony was at 12:30 so we decided that we would drive up together. Starli had some problems with her class at 9, so I picked her back up and we went to Wally World to pick up a belt for me and a SD card for my camera (I forgot to grab it from my computer). After getting her back to her classes, we headed to the white coat ceremony and it was AMAZING!!! Starli even thought it was good, as did Dad, Mom and Dad Salmond, and Tom. Oh and uncle mark was there, Starli got a really neat gift from her mom, it was a thing of daisy flowers, and ripe tomato :):) a true indication that she knows Starli. The ceremony consisted of people from the faculty speaking, and some other people from the University. Well we are both tired and exhausted from the day. Thank you so much for your support and hope all is going well for you guys. LOVE YOU!!! Mike

School is sweet

2008-08-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

Well the first day of school went as they usually do. Teachers trying to scare you so that you will push that much harder to succeed and you truly being a bit scared that you may fail. The scholorship I recieved was a little bit of a confidence booster that hopefully states that everything will be just fine. But I am a nerd and excited to start studying and can not wait for my biochem block! Mike starts in one week and I can not wait for us to be able to study together :) We got white boards and all :) Tomorrow is my white coat ceremony (which i think is SUPER SUPER LAME - i mean i just started ??) But everyone is really being supportive and bunches of family are coming to watch a pharmacist put a little white lab coat thing on me (haha-weird). (Just to add credit to my thoughts: Mikes Aunt Julie (A Pharmacist) also verified that it was boring and lame). But I am grateful for a super loving husband who wants to come take pics and a great family who loves me and supports me even when it may be lame. Dad (Anderson) will also be coming and thinks "the gayer the better". :) Love him!
Well off to sleep, we will try to include some pics tomorrow.
P.S. Mike needs to work on his marco-pollo skills! ;) (He thought he lost me and called my dad)
OH and lastly - one more time --> HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEE! WE LOVE YOU!

A great day in the neighborhood

2008-08-19T21:21:00.001-07:00

So update on the pan....IT LIVES!!! There is nothing wrong with it just gave it a good washing and all better. We slept in till 11 today, and had a interesting morning trying to figure out stupid information on school loans. Around 3 we finally got out the door and were able to get our mail key from the post office, renew my (mike's) license and changed starli's name on hers (now she is a more legal anderson). Then we got to shop for the rest of night for school (gives us a good excuse). We both got 2 new pairs of shoes, and starli found some amazing shirts and really nice church dress which fit perfect. We also got free stickers of cars and spiderman in our adventures ;) Now it is time to call it a night for starli starts her first day of school tomorrow and mike is super sad that he will have no one to come home to after work :(
P.S. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIAM!!
Kiss of the day: At target after starli tried on one of her new shirts :)

A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

2008-08-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

So yesturday was not super fun. It all started with this brilliant idea that although we were tired (we stayed up till 1 am the night before), I (starli) was going to wake up with mike (6 am) and stay awake so that we would both be really tired that night and start to get on a better sleeping schedule for school (starts tomorrow-whoa). So Mike leaves for work and I start the days errands. I go to the doctors and get some meds for this cold that will never go away and find out I have gained 3 pounds since the last time I weighed myself around June. :( Around 2 pm I decided to start the crock pot for dinner, I pulled out one the recipes we had bought stuff for and started to load up the crock pot. Lesson#1 READ the entire recipe before you start it. I put in the roast which was the last step and than read the line for how long it was supposed to cook....ummm 8-10 hrs. Which meant dinner would be around 1 am :(. I called mike and we decided we would just start it and have it tomorrow. So I decided to make chili and into starting the water to boil realized I was missing an ingredient. By this time mike was off work and I was more than happy to hear his voice. He said he would run to the store on the way home and get the stuff. When he got here before starting to cook we ran up the post office to get our new key and right when we got there we realized we had forgot our apt contract which was essential. So getting frustrated we went back to the apt to cook dinner, i put the pan back on the unit to boil the water and because we were both so tired thought it was a brilliant plan to take a quick nap. Lesson #2: DO NOT nap when waiting for water to boil. So yeah, we fell asleep and about an hour and half later we awoke to a brand new pan just burning on the unit. I was tired, and already a little overwhelmed with the idea of school starting in 2 days and this just threw me head first over a "life is too much sometimes" edge. I started to get silent and tear and mike just was like super confused and really trying to be super supportive but had no idea what to do with this new little wife who was breaking down. We ended up getting pizza and going to play rock band with Tom and Julie which lightened things up and later just talked about how today was just a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day....and it was behind us. Oh and that night we went on this cute walk and kissed on this little hill in the sprinklers. :)
P.S. so I dont forget 2 days ago mike did the CUTEST thing, we had just got home with groceries and he stopped me at the door and carried me over the threshold (into our new apt). He said he was so scared he was going to nail my head into the door :) :) Man I feel so lucky to have such a great man by my side.
Well hope all it going well. Here are a few pics of our new little apt. We LOVE it and really feel like its home.

Pics of new apartment

2008-08-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

We are not so internet savvy

2008-08-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

So with the influence of John and Jeanette and their amazing blog we decided to follow suit. Problem #1 we are not so internet savvy!
We started the making of the blog around 7:30 and were super happy to get a picture on by 7:45 - the music however took us the next 2+ hours....but happy day we have music! :) :) And its music we both love so we hope you enjoy the tunage.
We have to hang some pics up in our new apartment at the moment so that is all for today but we will keep you updated with fun little tidbits.
We love you all so much
Mike and Star