Congratulations!!!

It's wedding season!!! This weekend Tom's cousin (and my dear friend) JeVonne is getting married!!! Yippee! WE are so happy for her and can't wait!

Last night my little brother, Chris, called me and guess what???? Yup...getting married!!! Yeah Christian! I'm so excited for him! Amy is SUCH a great girl and I know she'll be a great sister-in-law! So our family will be heading to Vegas in May for the wedding! Congrats Chris & Amy!

It's Sunday afternoon. We didn't go to church today due to the number of runny noses and coughs in our family right now. Tom left for Utah this morning and now we are bored out of our minds! Sundays can be really long.
So what is new? Well, we are still totally up in the air about what we are going to be doing in the future. Staying here? moving to Utah? Starting our own? Joining a practice? Right now we are looking seriously at starting our own practice. So if that be the case, I need some help. Please!!?!!
We need a name. The location we are looking at is in Hayden, Idaho (about 5 minutes from our house). If anyone has heard of a cool pediatric dental name, please share. We are thinking of:

Hayden Pediatric Dental

Dr. Dance
Pediatric Dentistry

Dr. Dance
Dentistry for Children

We will need a big sign with our "name" on it. There are other pediatric dentists we've heard of with names such as "kiDDS Dental", "Little Smiles" (his old job), "The Children's Village". If we could come up with something catchy, that would be great too. We are blessed with a memorable last name so that is why we thought of using it in the title.

Who knows? As we are racking our brain trying to come up with a "name" (because every loan application we've filled out we've left the "business name" blank so far), I kindof want to just get a moving truck lined up and hit the road back to Utah where a busy job is right around the corner. I told Tom to figure it out when he is in Utah this week. If he wants to move back, we'll just go for it. If he thinks Hayden is the place for us, then we're here to stay. I have come to the realization in my mind that I'll be happy wherever we call "home". There are so many advantages to both places, and as I weigh them all out in my mind (and on paper), I've realized I just can't take the emotional stress of deciding any longer and I'm leaving it up to my husband.
Of course I say this today but tomorrow I'll be on the phone crying to Tom we have to do "this" or "that".

Can you tell I'm a wreck lately? I know I'll look back on it all and laugh (or not), but right now it's just plain old hard.

did you know?

So I always get those pamphlets at the doctors office and never really read them. Well, when the doctor told me yesterday that Jane had RSV I decided I'd read up on it and I'm glad I did. Some of it the doctor warned me about, and some of it I was surprised to know. SO, I thought I'd inform blog readers out there a little about RSV.

RSV infects almost all children at least once before they are 2. Most of the time, they just exprience cold-like symptoms.

Preterm infants & young children with medical conditions are at increased risk for developing serious infection (about 500 kids die each year).

RSV is highly contagious. The virus can live for several hours on surfaces like countertops, tables, playpens, and unwashed hands.

It is spread by direct or close physical contact with a person or contaminated surface.

Prevention? Wash hands, keep away from sick people (duh), keep away from crowded areas like shopping malls, keep away from smoke (tobacco), immunize against influenza (!)

OK. I'm done. I've never had a baby with this so I didn't know much. Now I know more. More than anything, I realize it's not that big of a deal if they get it (unless they begin wheezing) and it's totally normal. But it still STINKS!! So get out the lysol, ladies. Disinfect, disinfect, disinfect!

Jane is fine. She's got a nasty old cough and runny nose. She had 1 HOrriBLE day...screaming pretty much all day long and just miserable...but now she's back to her happy, but sick, self. But now I can't go anywhere b/c the doctor told me as long as she has ANY symptoms, she is contagious.

what am I thinking...getting on to blog? the kids are in bed and I should get a moment of peace.
of course not.
jane just started crying.
poor girl.
took her to the doctor today.
RSV.
lucky me.
i'll be in for a few weeks.
gotta run!

After my last depressing post I decided I needed to go and take some pictures of my kids and post them. After all, they are what make life fun and crazy and bring true happiness! And I was really smiling when I posted these pictures...I know I'm biased but my baby is just so dang cute! She makes me smile all day long!

Here is a picture of Jane in her favorite new chair. One of the few new things I got for Jane.

So Jane is so bald...not an ounce more hair than she had at birth. Oh well...bald is beautiful, right? I found this picture of Cameron at about 5 1/2 months...so Jane in a month...and realized Jane will never have the locks Cam did! Braden wants to hold her ALL the time!!!

Here's my handsome 6-year-old! Isn't he a cute kid!

Fun times?

So lately when I get on my blog I ask myself, Why did I name it "fun times in the lives of..."? Because lately I've been thinking it needs to be renamed, "Scary times in the lives of..." or "What's next for the lives of...". Yes, the Dance's are going through a time of change. I haven't blogged lately b/c it's pretty much consumed my thoughts and I didn't want to write when we are so uncertain as to what we are doing. Basically we are going through a job change. Most dental friends reading this will probably relate. We needed to have a DSAW (the dental wives club) lecture about what to do when you finish school, take a job, work for a few months, and it doesn't work out. So pretty much we "are seeking other opportunities". Or in other words, things were still slow and Tom's future partner decided he didn't want a partner. We were really okay with everything...it all made sense...we told ourselves it would all be okay, but then a few days later when it really hits, so does the freak outs! So what are our options now, you may ask? Well, in 2 1/2 weeks we are job-less. Tom has a job opportunity to work for a guy in Spokane Valley, about 25 minutes from here. It's not full-time, but enough to pay the bills and hold us over till we figure out what we will be doing more permanantly. We may start our own thing (I know, crazy, huh?) or buy out an existing. Fun times? not really. But that's okay, we'll figure it out soon...we have to!

Rollerskating

So Lizzy and I decided to take the kids rollerskating the other day when we had company. The kids had a blast. Cameron ate the floor a million times but got right back up and sprinted off! Anyways, as we were getting ready I decided to grab my rollerblades in the garage...save a few bucks on rentals. So i grab them out of a cupboard out there and notice it kindof stinks in there. I turn over my rollerblades and shake them thinking, "I hope there is nothing dead in there." Nothing comes out. I walk to the car and think to myself, "I'm going to do that one more time, just in case." So i open it up wider and give it a good shake. Well, my instincts were right...out comes a dried up mouse. I scream and throw the rollerblade. Then I run to the car, tell Tom to have it cleaned up when I get home, and decide to rent skates. I guess they lasted 9 years, those good old rollerblades of mine! Can I ever wear them again? Never! I shiver at the thought of putting them on and feeling something in there. If I hadn't done the second shake, I would have.

Visitors and a Sick day!

Well, we have had a lot going on the last few weeks and today Braden is sick so we decided to do NOTHING and stay at home. That really means mom gets to blog and clean up today...which is what I really need after such a crazy week!
First of all, we had Bella from Arizona visit us here in the Northwest! She flew up with Paul (who went on a ski trip with Tim to Canada) and stayed with me and Lizzy. The kids acted as if they had never been apart, even though we haven't seen her in at least a year and a half. Bella is a dear friend from our UW dental days and we are sure glad she came! She was sure brave too...not even one tear the entire 4 days...she's quite the independent little girl!
Jane is growing so fast! We love her to bits!
We had Tom's parents and brothers here for the weekend of Presidents day. They went Skiing at Schweitzer and we just had a blast! It was great to spend time with them! The boys were in heaven all weekend! Plus, Cameron followed them down every run they went on...and they did some difficult stuff! Cam's getting to be quite the skiier!

The Dare

So this is a video of Tom daring Cameron. I'm sure he promised him a dollar or something to do it. This is an old video...at least a month or so. Now you can't even tell there are stairs out our back porch. The snow is well up to the top of them and you pretty much just walk out on to the snow. There has got to be a good 2 - 2 1/2 feet out there! The kids could get lost in it all!

Igloo

So here is the igloo tom made after our first big snowfall. Poor Tom was hoping to spend an hour outside with the boys and then...3 hours later...we have this! It was a bigger project than he had anticipated. After this snowstorm we got more and more snow...as did most people accross the country. Right now the snow would be past tom's knees at least. The igloo looks more like a huge mound of shoveled up snow, which most people have next to their driveways. The boys have loved the snow. They play outside for hours! It was fun for the month of January...now I'm ready for it to all go away. I'm sick of the slush and ice that comes a few days after the beautiful white stuff falls!

Tagged

OK OK, So I've been tagged... (thanks Mandee!) I'm really not good at doing these, in fact, I get them emailed all the time and never have done one. So here goes.

A- Attached or single: attached

B- Best Friend: Tom

C-Cake or Pie: Definately Pie...peach...coconut cream...razzleberry...mmmmm

D- Day of Choice: Friday (It's finally friday)...or Sunday (naps)!

E- Essential Item:

F- Favorite Color: lately...pink!

G- Gummi Bears or Worms: bears...especially haribro

H- Hometown: Bloomfield, NY

I- Indulgence(s): Brownies

J- January or July: July

K-Kids: Cameron, Braden, and Jane

L-Life is incomplete without: friends

M- Marriage Date: May 2, 1998 (almost 10 years!!!)

N- Number of Siblings: 5 sisters, 4 brothers

O- Oranges or Apples: Apples in September, Oranges in December

P- Phobias or Fears: falling down the stairs carrying Jane, being on a bridge over water at the same time as an earthquake and deciding which child to swim with to safety (I'm psychotic, I know)

Q- Quote(s): Jane's crying so Braden says, "Mom, get out your boob."

R- Reason To Smile: My kids! Just yesterday jane was SCREAMING b/c of a tummy ache and so I held her and tried to nurse her only she wouldn't. Finally she gets through it after about 25 minutes (I was contemplating the ER I was so frazzled). She stops crying and instantly looks at me and smiles. Then I melt!

S- Season: Fall

T- Tag your friend: Susan

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I once peed in a Depends diaper

V- Vegetarian or Not: Not

W- Worst Habit: picking...anything!

X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds

Y- Your Favorite Food: Pizza (I know I sound like I'm 8), and Olive Garden

Z: Zodiac: Virgo

Favorites

So I'm going to post a few of my favorite baby things. A lot has come out since Braden was a baby 4 1/2 years ago!

First of all, my wrap... It's called a Moby wrap. Go to http://www.mobywrap.com/ for more info. Check out the colors and you'll see all the different ways you can use it. I love it. It doesn't hurt my back like the baby bjorn does. I can wear it for hours and it feels great!

Next... BabyLegs!
http://www.babylegs.net/

SO CUTE!!! Jane wears them now, and they grow with you. She'll wear the same ones when she is 2! Now they are all scrunched up but as she grows into them they won't be. I had to post boy ones too since they are SO cute!

Next...Motherlove Nipple Cream. This stuff works! It helps soreness a TON! I can't believe I didn't have it my first two babies.

Last...Robeez shoes. I love these boots. They keep socks on and are so dang cute! Plus, you can just throw them in the washer when they get dirty. I have heard from more than one person NOT to just get the target ones. They don't hold up well like these do.

All Stages...and my princess!

So I had a blast visiting with some of my favorite people last weekend. We had a girls weekend in Scottsdale, AZ where Erin was an awesome hostess, despite feeling rather ill the whole time. So here is a picture of us gals in all stages of being "with child". Erin, due 08/08/08, Traci, due in May, Lizzy, due in April, and lucky me, all done with Jane in my wrap. We really had a blast. The time went by way too fast! Here is the darling dress Erin got for Jane. Doesn't she look like a princess? It is seriously to die for! Thanks Erin! And where did she get it? A store called "Girly Girlz" of course!

So Janie is just changing all the time!! She is almost 3 months old!! Where does the time go? I took a bunch of pictures this morning b/c she was just so cute and bright eyed! Her eyes are so blue now and she just has such darling features. She is definately getting a little personality. I just love it. As sad as I am that she is getting bigger, it's so fun to see her actually come out of her zombie state and be a part of the world.

Our Vacations...

So we had a fantastic Christmas! We spent it with family, family, and more family! First of all we spent 5 fun filled packed days at the Dance home in Bellevue. We had a great time caroling, playing games, shopping trips, and just hanging out on Christmas. The boys were in heaven playing with their cousins and uncles non-stop! I pretty much had a blast playing with my sister-in-laws non stop! It was really great to have the whole family together. Christmas Eve dinner...eating as in olden times...fish...bread...greens...fruit...cheese...YUM!!! Yes, we are sitting on couch cushions! Aren't my in-laws creative!

Caroling to the fire stations...a dance family tradition. We take zuchini bread to all the fire stations in Bellevue and thank them for their hard work...especially being on call christmas eve! Every one invited us in to look at the trucks. The little boys were in heaven!

After that adventure we flew to Vegas where we had another 5 full fun-packed days with my family. It was so great to see my brother Will who I haven't seen in 2 years while he was on his mission. And it was fun to spend time with my parents who will be leaving in a few weeks for Africa where they will be serving as well for the next 2 years. We celebrated Tom's birthday in Vegas (happy 32nd babe!) and also blessed Jane. Oh, and the picture of me and Jane is to show my new hair...yes, I cut it! Even though everyone told me not to, I did. I had to. I needed a change, as well as less drying time.

Braden and his 4-year-old cousinsCameron and his 7&9 year-old cousins