Anatomy Lesson

Take a close look at this diagram.

Note there are 2 sphincters listed.  (stop laughing people,.. you have MANY sphincters in your body,.. not just the one that releases poo.)  We will be discussing the upper sphincter.  

As some people may know,.. I have a problem with said sphincter.  Basically what the problem is, is that the Esophageal Sphincter just past my air way,.. doesn't like me.  It sometimes doesn't open all the way, allowing food to fully pass through the rest of the esophagus and into my stomach,.. but I am still able to breathe fine,.. but we still say I am "choking".

Scene:

I spent all day in the kitchen preparing a really nice fun dinner with some friends to celebrate Valentine's Day,.. No kids (except for one super cute 3 month old who slept through it all).  Candle lit,... even cloth napkins and sparkling cider(I went all out people!).  I hadn't eaten all day because I was so super stressed to produce a fabulous meal.  By the time we sat down for dinner,.. I was STARVING.  I eat a bite of mashed potatoes, a bite of salad,.. and alas,... a bite of delicious Parmesan Chicken.  Savoring every last bit of juice before I swallow.  As I push it back to swallow,..  I can tell that I probably should have chewed it a little better,.. so I get a drink to give it some lube on it's way down,... didn't help,.. in fact,.. made it worse.  So Chicken goes down first,.. and then fizzy cider,... No bueno.   It's not going down,.. at all,.. and as neck and throat muscles contract harder and harder,.. the more and more fizz starts to come back up,... I hurry and run to the kitchen sink where I start gagging and spewing all over,.. (yes right in front of our guests)  I knew what was coming so I started to brusquely walk to our bedroom.  But of course because of the carbonation added to the suck chicken,.. my throat starts making CRAZY sounds,.. I wasn't sure if everyone else could hear them(they did) or if it was just amplified because it was in my body, or not.  But if I could re-create the sound I would describe it as a mixture of pop rocks in the consistency of pudding,... maybe hard to hard to imagine,.. but pretty creepy.  Luckily this time,.. it was able to pass through into my stomach just fine. (there was a time when I wasn't so lucky and had to have a little surgery). after about 15 painful minutes in the bathroom of trying to drink a little water, and then gagging it back up,.. I was able to get it to pass into my stomach,.. but the embarrassment had been done,.. and I still had to return to dinner.  It was a lovely walk of shame back to my chair to start the lovely explanation of why I choke on things.  But you know,... it wouldn't be my life, if I didn't always choke in front of other people,... it never happens when it's just Peter and the girls and I at home,... nope,.. we gotta make it a public display of retarded-ness.  

Thanks for the sense of humor Heavenly Father,.. it's gotten me through many embarrassing bodily function issues.

Being Sassy Pants' Mom

Bailey is just so,.... well,.... Sassy.  Our morning started out great! She was happy to be awake, and totally content watching her shows on the computer with a sippy cup of Chocolate Milk and a Pop Tart. (Breakfast of Champions, compliments of Daddy-Cakes)  

Chloe bum was a little angel and slept in until,.... drum roll please,...... 11 O'CLOCK!!  (I have no tricks to make my children love sleeping so much,. but I am just grateful they do!)  

Great way to start the day, egh??

Bailey's attitude got a good kick start right before we headed out the door to get groceries.  She didn't WANT to wear brown shoes!  Duh,... how could I possibly not know that?  

Then,.. we were headed to Costco,.. well,.. she doesn't WANT to go to Costco,.. she wants to go to the Red Circle store,.. (Target) and look at the Princesses!  So of course the pouting begins upon arrival at Costco.  A nice employee stops to say hello and Bailey literally sticks out her tongue and spits at the man.  gaul!  Kill me now,.. and so I gave her a strong talking to, and then it was sobbing the rest of the shopping trip.  The second we walk out of the store,.. life is great, grand wonderful again,.. until we get in the car and I won't let her have gum.   Well then the water works set in again and she was INSISTING that I take her to her Daddy's office so he can spank me cause he will be SO mad at me for being so mean to her.

We get to Target and it was pretty much the same thing,.. except this time she SCREAMED all the way out of the store because I wouldn't take her to look at the toys.  I always know that if I keep walking she will follow me,.. screaming,.. but at least we are getting where we need to go,... but if I stop,.. she will flail on the floor.  (I am getting smart people!)  I had two people stop and tell me,... "It gets easier, I promise" and "Oh hunny,.. it's down hill from here!" 

REALLY people?  I know what I was like as a teenager,.. and I am pretty sure that this behavior will just be 12 more years experienced.  

So please,.. Remember the Robbins Family in your prayers from now on, until the year 2027,.. when Bailey hits 20.   Thanks!

The Intruder

It's nights like tonight that I lie awake in my bed, secretly FREAKING OUT.  On the verge of a panic attack.  You see,.. about 6 years ago I was the victim of an attempted robbery.

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/article_879902e0-313e-5210-9d53-d56b184370e8.html
(I can't believe I was able to find this article!!)

At the time, it was nothing,.. I just thought I was super cool cause I was in the news.  I didn't ever have any reaction to the incident and it never affected me,..... until 3 years ago.

There was one incident where a girl, in Provo had gone missing.  It turns out in this particular story, the girl had gone hiking alone and had fallen and passed away,.. but for some reason, it sent me into a horrible panic stricken stage.  I was waking up in the middle of the night FREAKING out that there was someone in our apartment, and Peter would go check to find nothing, and then have to snuggle me super tight the rest of the night.  It was horrible.  But it eventually went away.  I get pretty nervous when I am home alone at night,.. but I am rarely home at night with out Peter.

But tonight,.. I am up,.. sleepless because of this story

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=14283096

This is not too far away from where we live,.. and by that I mean,.. this poor family is in our Stake.  I can't sleep.  It brings back all that stress and anxiety,.. and I am usually a pretty laid back person.  Every peep I hear coming from upstairs makes me jump.  (Chloe just started talking in her sleep as I was writing this, and my heart is racing, like I just ran a marathon!)

I said my prayers, and I said some more,.. I made Peter say some more prayers with me,.. and I still can't sleep.
I know that the Lord provides comfort and protection and I am grateful for that.  I am grateful that I can find comfort from speaking with him.  I know that if I ask, I shall receive, and he DOES comfort me.  I am grateful for the power of prayer and the power of the Holy Ghost,.. I know that he was with me that night my apartment was broken into, and he allowed me to stay calm to keep myself and my roommates safe.

I didn't start this post thinking I would bare testimony,.. but while I'm at it,.. I know my Savior lives, and I know that through him, all things are possible.  Especially today,.. I want to bare testimony of Fasting and Prayer and the guidance and peace that it gives.  I am grateful for the many channels we have been given to come to know Christ and understand him, and atonement.

I feel calmer now that have that all off my chest,.. and I am going to attempt sleep one more time.  Nighty night!

Looking Forward

I've been feeling the Winter blues,..and I just want to take the girls outside and play,.. but it's too cold,.. and we like to be warm,... so I am making a list of all the fun things we are so excited to do this Spring/Summer!!  Do you think that it will make Spring/Summer arrive sooner and stay longer?

DisneyLand(End of February,... we decided to cheat and visit summer for a week!)

A few Weekends at Spring Haven

Lazy days with a Blow-up pool

Lazy days spent in our yard that we finally got finished last fall,... the day before it snowed. :(

Long afternoons spent at the pool in Lindon

Ice Cream and Snow Cones on our way home from the pool

A week at Family Camp at Aspen Grove

Girls Camp(i LOVE girls camp!)

Camping in Yellowstone

Mornings at the Park down the street

Fireworks

BBQ's on the new deck that we only got to use once last Fall

Waiting on the front steps for daddy to get home from work

Bear Lake Weekends!!!!

Eating dinner nightly on the deck

Growing my own strawberries to make freezer jam!

My big sissy coming to Utah with ALL her kids!!

Late nights with my family

No makeup cause I will have a wicked awesome tan!

NOT being Pregnant or having a newborn! :D

Not caring about my house, and only doing laundry by pure necessity

A trip or 2 to play at the Gateway

ooooooh,.. I can't wait.  And I believe I have just made the winter blues even worse! :(

Speaking Chlo-ish

Chloe also needs a translator,.. and she is adding more and more words to her repitoire.

booooogs=boogers

santa

agaay=alligator

eyes

nose

bee=that which makes her heart beat,.. her beloved blanket

cheeeese=Jesus

show

guys=Dispicable Me,.. ie: Silly Guys

hat

bea ton=belly button

seeee=sippy cup

blablablabla-Banana

baiyee=Bailey

bum

poops

pants

sooes=shoes

no bed

phone

wallawalla=Odwalla, our very favorite drink.

fourk=fork(which she is a total PRO at using,... to dump her food on the floor)

Chloe is awesome at giving her poor old ma some sympathy laughs, and of course real laughs.  She is just delightful.  We are pretty much obsessed with her and her "Evil Eye"  it's AWESOME!  (I will have to post a video of it)  Chloe LOVES songs,.. and yes,.. we are STILL singing Christmas songs to her because they have to have "Santa" in the song, or she gets mad.  She thinks her sister's hair is strictly for pulling, and her face is for slapping.  Chloe has had to learn to be pretty feisty with a sassy big sister who would other wise push her around.  She is really funny, and makes me laugh all day!  She has always been a pretty effeciant communicator,.. which makes being a mommy a lot easier,.. but also a lot more fun.  Diarrhea is pretty much an every day occurance, dang it anyway.  We are trying to figure it out,.. and it's been a long process,.. dang Lactose!  Chloe LOVES babies and is frequently found carrying one around, and poking it's fake eyes.  It's probably a good thing she doesn't have a real little sibling, or it would be blind.  Chloe L-O-V-E-S her daddy!  As SOON as he gets home from work,.. she is always near or being held by "dada", but who doesn't love him,.. I mean really?  He is pretty popular at our house!