Our Happy Stryder

I was talking to my sister-in-law, Stacy, and she told me what her girls call Stryder...."our happy Stryder." I thought it was so cute and endearing that they could see what a happy little boy he is while we were out there for Thanksgiving. It also occured to me that I have totally been neglecting one of my duties as his mom....taking lots of pictures and posting them on our blog. Indeed there is a lot to update when it comes to
Stryders' latest mannerisms and milestones, so I'll do my best to highlight the ones that are especially great.

Stryder is now a pro at standing and walking....sort of! He will actually stand on his own, bend down and gracefully sit on his bum to avoid taking a step. I know "mama didn't raise no chicken" so I have no clue why he would rather sit and crawl then try to walk! Although a few weeks ago he did take his first step, albeit then sat down on his bum and started crawling to his destination. Since then he has successfully continued standing alone and mastered the art of walking with only one hand barely touching whatever furniture or person is nearby. This video is actually from a while back...but its the first time Stryder walked with his walker. He is so proud of himself, like he knows he did something really cool. Ha ha.

Stryder is also obsessed with the vaccuum. Not watching it being used, but actually playing with it. He LOVES to climb on it, walk around it, and touch it. It is really the strangest thing! The best entertainment I have found is to bring the vaccuum into his play area and let his have his fun. I am keeping my hopes up that he will never give up his fondness of the vaccuum and even learn how to use it someday! (He will have a happy wife in that case :-)

He also loves baths! He gets super excited when the water starts running, he will crawl to the side of the tub and jump up and down, hardly containing his joy. He loves bubbles, bath toys, and splashing in the water.

Stryder has learned to go up and down stairs. He has been going up them for quite a while now, but what goes up must come down....and now he has finally mastered that part too! We all worked with him, teaching him to turn around before he goes down the stairs, and after continual teaching, he finally got it. He is also soooo proud of himself when he does this. He really looks at us all and expects us to clap for him. Ha ha, it is the cutest thing!

 

He loves his Johnny Jump Up. I had some stuff to clean the other day and there is no way I let him out of my sight even for a split second, since he does eat the potting soil and who knows what else. So I put him in his Jump Up and he jumped and jumped and jumped. He also likes his little flying saucer...it doesn't really fly.....though sometimes you'd think he was trying to make it! (Although he doesn't look particularly happy in this picture, I promise he is :-)

Stryder laughs at nearly everything. He loves games and when mommy and daddy play with him. But it is not only fun and games that make him giggle. I can look at him, and he will laugh. Give him food....he laughs. Put him to bed....yup, he laughs. Give him a bath...you guessed it, he laughs. It is so funny! Here is a video of him laughing while playing a game he made up:

Of course, no little boy can be happy ALL the time. There is one thing that makes Stryder's temper show: eating peas. He hates them and that is not exaggeration! I guess it's a good thing we are almost done with the baby food....I wouldn't like peas if they were mashed up to mush either!

Stryder, Mommy and Daddy love you!  You are the joy in our lives! 

Congratulations, Graduates!

I just want to say how proud I am of my sister and my mom.  They have both recently graduated nursing school and passed their NCLEX, which means they are both Registered Nurses.  Hooray!!  Anyone who has been through nursing school and taking the boards knows how completely stressful all of it is.  So congratulations Mom and Jenessa!  I love you both and know how hard you worked on this accomplishment.  You should be so proud of yourselves! 

Life Lately

I am totally guilty of blog-neglect lately. Our life is so busy, so I thought, why not write a little up-date post on the things that keep me going and going and going and going.....

1. Rounding off the top of my list is......Keith's crazy clinical schedule. (See post directly below this one for further explanation.) We have had to learn to be flexible (that is really not even the right word to describe it!), to expect that he will be on-call when we make plans, and that his pager is REALLY loud!

2. Next up.....A trip to Dominica?! Yes, Keith is going to Dominica in two weeks to give a few presentations about the Falcon review course he took.  It is a great opportunity for him to gain valuable presentation experience and to network :-) Falcon is paying for everything, food, fun, plane tix, hotel, ect, ect. You may wonder, 'Lesley, don't you feel left out that you don't get to go?' Ahh....I could have gone, all expenses paid, even. But, when we thought about taking Stryder with us....ummm too many nightmares to handle. There are other issues with me going on the trip.... which brings me to my next item:

3. School. Not Keith's school this time. Mine. I am going to Kent State University completing my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. It is a great program, but it keeps me so busy. I have more homework than ever and I fear getting behind and having to play catch up. Not a fun game! So I am constantly reading textbooks, doing research, and studying in an effort to succeed. I am also taking Organic Chemistry online through UC Berkeley. I am convinced this class will be the end of me....if I ever make it through. But to my surprise I got a 94 on my assignment about Markovnikov's Rule and how alkenes react with other molecules.

4. I got a new job! I was offered a fill-in position in the school district here working as a school nurse serving grades K-12. It is part-time and will most likely last for a few months. Yes, I am still working per diem as a health coach/educator for corporate companies. I worked a couple events last week.  Now Keith introduces me as "the breadwinner." Ha ha.

5. My son. I'm beginning to wonder how early the doc's can diagnose ADD. He doesn't ever sit still. He is hyperactive. I chase him around the house all day. He insists on playing in toilet water and eating potted plants. Baby Einstein doesn't even keep his interest. AND he is the joy of my life! I love seeing him each morning, as he greets me with a big smile, jumping up and down in his crib. I am glad to have such an active (or hyperactive) little boy that wants to explore everything life has to offer!

6. Ah....Church keeps me busy, but I'm not one to blog much about calllings, other than I really love planning and giving sharing times, teaching the gospel to children, and serving in the Primary :-)

7. Last, but not least, my few hobbies. Hmm. Hobbies...does watching Glenn Beck everyday count? It's kind of a daily thing that my dad and I watch Glenn's show on Fox News. I will refrain from posting anything political in nature, but I will say that I do have in interest in following politics and keeping current on issues that we face as Americans today. Glenn Beck can decipher and explain things in a common sense, no-nonsense kind of way. (He is also the #2 most favorite tv personality.) Other hobbies....taking hot baths. Very nice. Oh so relaxing.  And that is about all I can squeeze into my life at the moment!

So, when I have some free time, I will try to keep up our blog.  (Try, being the operative word!) 

Keith's Rotations

I wanted to give an update about Keith's rotations thus far. He started his med school rotations at the excellent program here in Janesville, WI about 3 weeks ago. So Far, So Good! His first rotation is OB. He has already assisted in a few live births and C-sections....which I NEVER want, BTW! (Did you know they actually take the entire uterus out of the womans' body during a C-section, ummm....way too invasive for me-I like my uterus right where it is, Thank you very much!)

He is learning things so fast and is very excited being a med student. He works with the Resident Doctors and the Attending Physicians. I see his determination and vigor as he gets up everyday at 5:30am and arrives home sometime after 6:00pm (usually). His schedule is variable at best and quite unpredictable. He is on-call about once every 5 days or so. This means he spends a 24 hour shift at the hospital. He gets paged whenever there is a new admit, something wrong with a patient, or any other matter that only a doctor must handle. Each rotation is about 6 weeks in length, so the next rotation he is scheduled for is Internal Medicine!

Below is a picture of his first day of OB rotation: (you'd think it was the first day of school!)

I wanted this post to be about my husband....but I do wish to say a bit about being the wife of a very busy husband. It has been quite challenging for me to not know when Keith will be home at night, for him to be gone for over 24 hours at a time, and to become adjusted to being a stay at home mommy. I have alot of help and support from my parents and from my husband....So THANK YOU very much for all the help you give me. It was also great to have my siblings here over the holidays, as they entertained my over-active son for much of the day, when I needed a "mommy break."

I know that this situation is only temporary, with Keith being a med student, but I have to realize the fact that it could be the exact same when he is in residency and becomes a doctor. The crazy hours. The unpredictable schedule. Ect. Ect. I guess I am going through the process of accepting that fact at the moment. I have to admit it is hard to swallow at times. But, I then I think of how happy I am that Keith is doing something that he loves and is helping the greater good of this world, not to mention being able to provide a good and responsible living for his family.....all are things I appreciate very much.

Our Holiday Greeting :-)

We decided, rather last minute, to send out a holiday greeting card a few weeks ago. I have intended to post it for those whose addresses I did not have, but am just now getting around to doing so.

Sending out a holiday greeting card is a tradition that I would really love to start, but find myself frustrated at some things about them. First, I love that people take the time to send a card to say 'Merry Christmas' and 'Season's Greetings.' It is always very nice to hear from people and see a picture of their family, too. Even a short update is nice to read, when it is done with a good attitude and includes things that are relevant. With that being said, I do not feel completely comfortable sending out a "brag letter" at Christmas, and neither does my husband. Not to mention the fact that my family would never let me live it down if I composed such a letter, either! (You see, we have gotten some pretty braggy-braggy letters in the past that really don't make the holidays any brighter.) And I feel that they are somewhat pretentious and assuming, too. Plus, anyone that needs to know important, or not so important details about our family already knows them and does not have to receive them in a formal letter. Anyways, enough of my little rant and rave.

So this season, we came up with the idea of compiling a humorous letter.....as you know, I love sarcasm! We came up with a TOP TEN list of things that we have learned this year while adventuring through all that is medical school:

10. Never become pregnant in a third world country. Furthermore, when geckos are pouncing on you in the middle of the night and you find dead ants boiled in your Ramen Noodles, it's time to move back to the states!

9. You know times must be rough, when the hospital you deliver at only offers cloth diapers. (FYI-Birth classes, epidurals, and labor coaches are overrated---All natural is the way to go!)

8. Keith has found that pajama pants work every bit as well as snow pants when shoveling snow for three hours. Your legs just freeze either way!

7. Lesley's new favorite store to shop at is the Salvation Army, along with the Goodwill when they give out free loaves of Wonderbread.

6. Our son, Stryder, loves eating the Christmas ornaments, along with toilet paper. It makes things very interesting when we change his diaper.

5. It is possible to live in a 4000-square-foot house with all the upgrades....when your parents own it.

4. If you use the right combination of coupons and you frustrate the cashier enough, you can actually get money back at the grocery store.

3. When times get tough, the tough go to the dollar store. It really does provide all of life's necessities, like toothpaste, deodorant, and a surprisingly great selection of spices.

2. Our idea of a nice date night, is a movie at the budget theater and a fish fillet from McDonalds.

1. We continue to be faithful in hoping and praying that there will actually be a medical profession left when Keith completes his education....in only about 5-7 more years.

Honorable Mentions:

A. The local gas station marks all their donuts down to a quarter after midnight.
B. If you dress warm enough, it really doesn'tmatter if the heat in your Chevy Lumina works or not!

It is through experiences such as these, that some of life's most important lessons are learned. We know the day will come when we can look back on these times as some of our fondest memories. We really do feel blessed with all the support of our families and friends. May you find peace, joy, and happiness this holiday season!

With Love,

Keith, Lesley, and Stryder Harrop :-)

P.S.-We would like to thank Matt Draper for the wonderful photography posted on the blog....his pictures became a part of our Christmas card this year. Thanks, Matt, you truly have an amazing talent!

Utah! Part 1

I figured I better blog about our recent trip to Utah, where we spent Thanksgiving, before Christmas gets here. This post will also be in lieu of SOS for November, since I missed that too! A quick update: Things around here have been so busy, as Stryder has RSV, which is like a bad cold that babies can get, and an ear infection on top of that. We have to give him breathing treatments through a nebulizer machine a few times everyday to open his little lungs, have him sleep with a vaporizer, and feed him lots of fluids. But, thankfully today, he finally started feeling better! His appetite has increased, he is smiling more than ever, and he is no longer raspy or wheezy :-) I am so happy! It is hard to tell when he is not feeling well, since he is a just such a jovial little guy anyway, but today, he was most definitely back to his all-the-way cheerful self. It was not a severe case of RSV, but just enough for me to worry, of course.

We took a great trip out to Utah for Thanksgiving! We had a wonderful holiday at Keith's dad's (Papa) home, and the food was delicious. I miss the get-togethers with his family. It is always great fun and they are an extremely caring family. (Once again, they DO NOT read my blog, so I am NOT just saying that!) We gave Stryder the turkey drumstick, which he LOVED! He had so much fun with it. Unfortunately, I had to miss out on our traditional movie after Thanksgiving feast, because I got the worst headache ever that night. So Keith and his dad went instead, which was good for them. Here is a video and some pics of our Thanksgiving:

We also went to Hogle Zoo, on free zoo day, with Stephanie (my sis-in-law) and her kids. It was lots of fun too! I think the last time I had been there was when Keith took me for my birthday a few years ago. Stryder loved the animals and I love seeing him around his cousins. (Sidenote: I REALLY wish my side of the family would get working on producing some cousins, too! Keith's side now has 7 total grandkids.....)

Here is Steph and her cuties, Benja and Lizzie.....

We love the penguins! And I love this picture that Keith took....it is so sweet.

Daddy and Stryder trying to see the bear........I think?!

Onto the amazing TEMPLE SQUARE!!!! I love temple square.....the beauty, the lights, the spirit, the excitement......I could go on and on! It has always been a tradition of Keith and mine to visit Temple Square when they have the lights up. We began this tradition the month we started dating actually.....it is my favorite tradition that we have and we haven't missed a year yet, and this year makes 5 years! Enough of the exclamation points and more of the pictures:

Papa with Keith and Stryder

We met up with our med school friends, Adrian and Diana; it was great to see them again.

Stryder was a trooper; he loves riding on Dadda's shoulders!

Finally a few photos of the scenery:

Beautiful

Stunning

Humbling

Majestic

Inspiring

Loving

Stay tuned for the continuation of Utah: Part II coming soon........

HOLY SNOW!

For those of you who don't know much about Wisconsin winters....you're in for a little lesson!  This picture above is the snow from one night and one night only!  It equals out to about 17 inches of snow.  You can see from the picture above that the snow is almost reaching the top of the trampoline in our backyard.  It also covered every square inch of the patio furniture.  I'm no longer dreaming of a White Christmas. 

This picture above is of our mailbox.  Can you spot it???  It is circled in the picture, but it still is barely visible.  We had to dig it out to receive our mail....and I bet you are wondering how those little wussy mail trucks get around these snowbound parts?!  Well, they trade in their little mail trucks for four-wheel drive jeeps and get our mail to us that way!  The picture below is our basketball hoop, frozen solid and packed full with snow. 

My wonderful helpful husband got right up in the morning and went to shovel the snow in his pajama pants and mismatched gloves.  We don't have any of his snow gear out here, to my dismay, he stayed out for THREE HOURS snowblowing and shoveling in just his pajama pants.  I couldn't believe it!  Both my parents went out and shoveled, too, and it really did take the three of them THREE FULL HOURS of snowblowing, shoveling, heaving and ho-ing to clear just our driveway and our walks.

 Here is my handsome husband hard at work....

Stryder watched Daddy from the warmth and comfort of the inside the home...

Stryder was looking outside so intently that I decided to take him outside to play in the snow.  We even have the cutest snowsuit for him.  He really didn't know what to think of the snow, though.  But he really did end up liking it.

I also had to get pictures of all the snow-removal personnel with Stryder.....

Here is Grandpa and Stryder:

Here is Grandma and Stryder:

Here is Daddy (with his eyes closed) and Stryder:

Finally, me and my son:

I am also going to tell you a bit on how bitterly cold it is here!  The wind is literally bone-chilling.  I have never felt anything like it in my life.  I don't remember it being like this when I grew up here, but maybe I just didn't have anything to compare it to.  Utah winters are mild compared to Wisconsin.  Oh, how I long for "just a chance of flurries" instead of "expect 17 inches by morning."  But, you gotta love whatever experiences life dumps on you overnight!