Today was quite the day. Here is how it began:
7:30 a.m. I wake up and get ready.
7:45 a.m. I wake Weston up.
8:05 a.m. I wake Autumn up.
8:30 a.m. Autumn has a Dr. appointment with her pediatrician.
9:15 a.m. We go to an imaging lab to get multiple chest x-rays done of Autumn.
10:30 a.m. We pick up all of Autumns medicine from CVS.
11 a.m. We go to a friends house, where we do "story time" twice a month.
12 p.m. We finally get home, and the kids are exhausted from being taken in and out of the car and having not been home since 8:15 that morning.
So what was all that craziness for? This:
Autumn has ASTHMA. Finally- a diagnoses! Autumn gets sick ALL the time, and is always put on antibiotics and a steroid to open her lungs (once it was so bad the Dr. immediately gave her a shot to open her airways...she was about 8 months old then) and the problem kept coming back. So this time I went in determined to not leave until I had some answers, I am tired of Autumn always coughing and always taking a medication that helps but doesn't keep it from reoccurring. I suggested that I thought maybe Autumn had asthma and the Dr. checked her out and concluded that she did in fact have that. She sent us to get chest xrays to rule out any possibilities of pnuemonia or anything along those lines. Autumns dr. called me this afternoon and nothing abnormal was found in the xrays.
So what does this mean? It means Autumn gets 4 breathing treatments a day. Every 4 hours she has to sit and breath in Albuterol. She has a steriod that she takes with breakfast and with dinner. We also have a follow up appointment in a week.
I told the dr. I felt overwhelmed, but luckily me and my kids are homebodies and are okay hanging out at home. We can arrange our schedules around Autumns 4 breathing treatments and see what happens in the next week. I asked the dr. if she can outgrow this and she said yes. She said it tends to happen around puberty when kids start to develop and their hormones change, and their body grows. So here's hoping!
Autumn has taken to the machine well. I was shocked how well she has done with it. Her last treatment today she whined when I took it off. I think it's a bit fun for her. She gets to sit in my lap and she can hear herself talk and she laughs at how funny she sounds. I was advised to get rid of the down comforter on the twin bed in Autumns room (she is still in a crib) and to put away her stuffed animals (except for a couple of favorites that will have to be washed frequently) until this gets more under control. So for now- no stuffed animals for gifts!
After her nap Autumn was really cuddly, she had had a hectic morning and I held her and cried. And told her how much I loved her. It breaks your heart as a parent to see your child hurting, and you would give anything to make them feel better. Hopefully this is our answer.
That panda bear looking thing on the right, that's her breathing treatment machine. It's nice that it blends in so well with Weston's toy bucket. No one will even notice it!
It's hard for Autumn to look as cute as she normally is when she is wearing this!
Last night Autumn was being really sweet with Weston. Usually she is very possessive of her toys and books, but when Weston was looking at this she went to show him what buttons to push.
Then she decided to give Weston some loves!
Two is definitely more fun.
Then where the puzzles were was this little area with balls and mirrored walls (also Autumns favorites)
Autumns cousin (my nephew) playing in the same ball area.
Weston, hanging out just outside where Autumn and her cousin are, showing off his mad crawling skills.
Over in an opposite corner of the room (this room was HUGE) was all these tumbling mats. Autumn had a lot of fun running and jumping on them.
Weston, checking himself out too. (The room was friendly and appropriate for all kids under 3)
This was a bunch of ping pong balls on string, hanging from the ceiling, at first this is what Autumn did with it.
Then she did this! This is much more fun and makes a lot more noise!
Weston, hanging out. There are these elevated chairs, which a bean bag type cushion in them.
I don't know any other way to describe this area of the room, but to call it a "tree house" It sits just off the ground, you have to go up a few steps or a ramp to get up to it. But it has a bridge, and slide, and clear circles in the floor to see to ground. It was a lot of fun for Autumn and her cousin.
You can look through these circles to the floor below. Where there is stuff to play with too.
Going down the slide to get out of the "tree house."
This is under the "tree house" there are all sorts of toys attached to the wall.
In the corner of the tree house is this metal man hole looking thing. It was so much fun for Autumn once she figured out what it did. When you stand on it, it senses weight and blows air up on you. Above her head is streamers and stuff hanging from the ceiling that blow around in it too.
Autumn kept getting off it, standing back on it, getting off, and going right back to it.
Talk about fun!
Right before we left the room she sat down and looked at a book. With all there was to do in this room I was shocked, but some down time is always good for Autumn.
On our way out (this is on the main level right by the gift shop and entrance) we thought we should let the kids play in here too. There was music blaring, a hula hoop contest going, a dance contest...it was a room for ALL ages. I was super hesitant to let Autumn play in here, for fear of losing her somehow (the room was very crowded and very busy) but she had a blast and because of the holes in the stretchy material of the tunnels I could follow her and watch her very easily. 
She would climb in and out of the holes in the tunnels. The tunnels met in the center where there was a tent like entrance. Autumn enjoyed crawling around in there and climbing on it, and in and out of it.
Autumn also found (where the teenager area of this room was) a machine that shoots ping pong balls out of plastic shoots. You put the balls in this hole and it vacuum sucks it all around these tubes and shoots, and depending on where you turn the knob depends on where the ball will shoot out. Autumn loved trying to follow the ball in the clear shoots with her eyes and then having to run after the ball to put it back in. Autumn loves to be stimulated, and this place did it for her.
Autumn playing while we unpacked the car.
Autumn waiting and playing while we cooked dinner on the first day.
Weston and his grandma hanging out.
During some down time, Autumn watching a movie.
Our niece...
Our nephew:
Two of Autumns cousins:
This is Autumns cousin who is a month older than her. She is a ball of fun!
Drews aunt loving on Weston. 
Hanging out during our free time. Here are some of Drews cousins.
Drews aunt and uncle playing with Weston. He was so much fun and happy all the time.
Drew and Autumn joining the fun after Autumns nap.
Here are the boys before they went shooting. A couple of boys are missing in the picture.
The last night we hung out on the porch at the big main cabin where the aunts and uncles stayed. We watched the kids play games with their great aunt/grandma.
Here are the kids playing Red Light, Green Light.
Grandpa and Grandma playing with Weston during the talent show.
On our way out we saw two wild turkeys. I bet Drew wished he had his guns...
The second cabin we stayed in. It had a living area, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a.c. It was heavenly!
We saw buffalo too on our way out of the ranch.
We picked up a hitch hiker!
We had so much fun! We felt at times with two young kids it was hard to enjoy all the ranch had to offer because they go to bed early, wake up late, and nap a lot but it was fun to see everyone and really just enjoy the beauty of Zions.
