Pictures of Alex

Taun just emailed these pictures to me. They are the only pictures we have from Alex's hospital stay. All we had with us was Taun's cell phone. His head is wrapped to help the EEG leads attached to his head for the 24 hours. He was heavily sedated in one or more of the pictures and I wondered if he would ever be normal again. He is doing much better now and he is adjusting very well to being on medication. The Keppra-rage is mostly gone and we are so relieved to have our happy little Alex back. Thanks to all of you for your phone calls, prayers and support. We love you all and hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

We're Home!

Don't have much time but I still wanted to update and Taun is not home to check for grammar so bear with me. We came home on Tuesday and Alex is making huge progress every day. When we came home he could still not walk or talk. He was still so drugged and wiped out. I am staying home the rest of this week to be with him and watch his improvement. As of today, he is walking and signing some things. I will know that he is 100% normal when he starts getting into mischief (ex: drinking from the toilet, smaking his brother, etc...)

He is on an anti-seizure medication called Keppra. They say that sometimes people who are on Keppra can get Keppra-rage. We have seen it and we don't like it. Hopefully his body will adjust to the medication and the rage will go away. He will be on Keppra for a year and then they usually taiper them off of the medication and see how they do. They also gave us Diastat to give him incase of a breakthru seizure. Without insurance, 2 doses cost $700. Thank goodness once again for insurance. I pray we never have to use it but I am glad we have it on hand incase it does happen.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers on Alex's behalf. I am so grateful for the Priesthood and all of it's many blessings.

I will post more of the details later.

What is PICU?

The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Primary Children's Medical Center. Why do I care? Because that is where I am right now. Here's the story: Friday at 3:30 p.m., I am just chatting with some co-workers after a faculty meeting and my cell phone rings. It is Taun so I answer because I was interested to find out how the boys were doing (Alex was quite sick Friday morning, vomiting and really lethargic, so Taun stayed home with them). I answer the phone, and Taun says, "They are taking Alex to the hospital in an ambulance again." I run to my classroom as fast as my pregnant body will move and then to my truck and speed home. I was almost hyperventilating when I got home. I saw the ambulances and police cars at my house. I get in the ambulance and ride to the hospital. Alex had another seizure. He started playing; so Taun thought he was getting better. He laid down and shortly after let a blood curdling scream, tightened up, started shaking, his eyes were rolled back and he appeared to stop breathing. Taun called 911 and they took him to the hospital. We were in the ER for about 5 hours while they ran all the tests and x-rays (chest x-ray, blood work, rsv test--big tube shoved down nose, squirt stuff in and suck it back out). Everything looked normal so they released us (about 8:00 p.m.) and we went to get Benjamin from JeriDawn's house. Taun went in to get Benjamin, and I stayed in the car with Alex. About 6-7 minutes later I hear the same blood curdling scream, and I look back to see my baby tight and shaking with his eyes rolled back. Again, he appeared to not be breathing. I jump out of the car and scream for Taun. JeriDawn calls 911 and they Ambulance takes him back to the hospital.

The hospital kept him overnight. He started having seizures again at 4:00 AM. By his time, Logan Regional Hospital decided to transfer him to Primary Children's. He continued to have seizures every 40 minutes, in the ambulance on the way to SLC. By the time we reached Primary Children's he was having seizures every 10 minutes or so. He was given two or three different anti-seizure meds and taken to have a CAT scan. It revealed nothing was majorly wrong with his brain.

It is Sunday night and thus far he has gone through a lumbar puncture, E.C.G, MRI and continuous blood tests. He is a little more alert and not having seizures. By tomorrow he should be out of the PICU into a room in neurology.

5 YEARS & COUNTING!

Taun and I have been married for 5 years (and 1 day!) Last year I promised to post our story and I am now just getting around to it...life is busy and what better time than on our anniversary. Bear with me and enjoy.

October 1999

I was recovering from a very terrible relationship when my SIL's cousin asked if she could set me up with her husband's best friend. I figured it couldn't hurt and maybe I would make a FRIEND out of the situation. (I was not looking for anything else...I had just started school again and could not afford to drop again.) We had our first date at Matt & Carrie's house. We played games and ate pizza. Taun said he would call again and he did...the very next day! We chatted on the phone alot (he lived an hour north.) We went out quite often and even started talking about getting married. We went looking for rings and he asked my dad's permission.

May 2000

I was sitting in a missionary farewell sacrament meeting and for the 3rd time in two months, I felt very stongly that I needed to go on a mission. (I felt it so strongly this time that I almost got up right there and then to ask my bishop for the necessary paperwork.) I started filling out the paperwork and praying alot because I was in love with a great guy and was so confused about the mission thing. I decided that it was definately time to go and so I told Taun. He took it very well (or so I thought...he swore he would never forgive me.)

September 2000-April 2002

I served in The Chile Osorno Mission. Taun wrote me once the whole time and I even gave him several chances. (I wrote him 3-4 times and he never wrote back so I was done wasting my time writing him!) I came home on April 19, 2002 and by July I had not heard from him so I called him to see if we could hang out as FRIENDS. I even told him that there would never be anything romantic between us again because I just didn't feel that way about him anymore. We started hanging out more and more often and then in October 2002 I asked him to come down so that we could see each other. He came and took me to Macaroni Grill, Bath and Body Works, and The Wynnsong Movie Theater. (This became the norm for when we went out.) On his way home he got a speeding ticket (42 in a 30) just miles from my house. He called the next day to see if I wanted to go out again because he had to come down for traffic school. I of course said yes (hoping that he would buy me more lotion at Bath and Body Works.) He came down and they would not let him take the class on the same day that he registered so he had to come down the next weekend to take the class so of course we went out again. On this 3rd week in a row I was feeling differently about him and decided that it was time to tell him. We were on our way to eat when we had this conversation

Shannon:"Do you remember when I told you that there would never be anything romantic between us?"

Taun: "yeah."

Shannon: "How would you feel if I took those words back?"

Taun: "What?"

Shannon: "I think I really like you, no I know I do."

We sat in complete silence for what seemed like forever.

Shannon: "Now you won't even talk to me."

He grabbed my hand and said, "Oh yeah, how do you feel about this?"

I got butterflies and all gitty about then and it just felt right. We decided that we would take it very slowly. He proposed 4 weeks later!

Very Important Side Note

I was in school and done a group project on jewelry. For the project we had to research and the best way was to go to a jewelry store and learn about diamonds and other gems. My group consisted of 6 single college girls. We were all designing our rings and wishfully thinking about them. I mentioned it to Taun and asked him if he wanted to see the ring I designed. We went and before I knew it he put a down payment on the very ring!

He got permission from my parents for the second time and on November 16, 2003 he proposed. It was not just any proposal and thanks to some coworkers at the bank, I have it all on video.

The Proposal

It was a very slow day at the bank and I was just waiting for customers to come. One customer came in and handed me a yellow rose (my most favorite flower ever.) A card with my name written on it was tied to the stem. A minute later the next customer to come in handed me another yellow rose. The card this time had the word "You" written on it. This continued for some time...rose after rose...card after card...word after word. "Shannon, You are the love of my life. Will..." I wanted to go outside to see him but my coworkers said I had to wait until I had all the roses and the complete message. I could not wait any longer and in walked my best friend. She had the last three roses. The words...you...marry...me? Taun came in and got down on one knees and asked me to marry him...in front of all my coworkers and several customers. He put the ring on my finger and I said "yes!" They sent me home after that saying that they knew I would not be able to work anymore that day.

February 7, 2004

We were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on my parents 35th wedding anniversary. My grandma later told me (after checking her journal) that it was the exact same sealing room as my parents and very close to the exact time of day.

What's Cookin'?

Lately I have trying to be really good about cooking dinner and baking treats instead of buying convience foods and treats. We hardly go out to eat anymore (except for the really bad days) and both boys really enjoy helping make the cookies.

My mom gave the boys an apron for Christmas and so every time I put my apron on they both have to have theirs so they can help me. We made the best looking and best tasting cookies. They were delicious!

I have also been making treats every week for the 11 yr. old scouts (our calling in our ward.) Each week I try to make something different for them so I have made cookies, brownies, peanut butter fingers, and just recently I made donut holes. They were delicious and so easy to make. The boys loved them and so did my boys (including Taun.) Here is the recipe:

Donut Holes

2 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup of milk

1/4 cup of oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls into hot oil (375ºF). Fry 4 or 5 doughnuts at a time, for 2 or 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Roll in powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. About 5 dozen.

Christmas 2008

On Saturday the 20th we went to Grandma Beddes' house for a Christmas party. We had so much fun! She had put a lot of time and effort into planning some games for the adults and the kids. We had good food and lots of presents. She's great...she puts all the gifts for each child in one Big HUGE bag and lets the kids have at it all at the same time. The kids always get clothes, toys and books from her (and grandpa) and they love it! This year Grandpa Beddes spent lots of time on his gift to the kids...he MADE blocks for the boys! He made them all with his hands and a few tools. The boys were so excited and I cried because that is what you call a gift from the heart!

We also opened presents from the gift exchange and Benjamin could hardly wait to tear into this big one with his name on it. JeriDawn got him a big Thomas the Tank Engine Tent. He absolutely loves it!

On Christmas Eve, we drove to my grandparents house and had the annual Steele Family Nativity. Benjamin got to be Joseph and he did a great job (no speaking parts are involved!) Alexander was a sheep and he would not let go of me so he is not in any pictures.

Just after the nativity and talent show, we had a special visitor. Benjamin was the first one up there to sit on his lap and he did not cry one bit.

Alexander did okay too!

Christmas morning was at grandma's and Santa found us there! We were really blessed this year and got some great stuff from the big guy. Benjamin got some big trucks for the sandbox we plan on having in the spring (hopefully!) He also got some much needed clothes and of coarse some candy in his stocking. Alexander got some cars and a train. We all got the traditional box of cereal and an orange in the toe of our stocking. Taun got me a gift certificate to the spa. That was a huge surprise!

The boys got matching Thomas jammies on Christmas Eve.

We were able to stay at my parents house for a few days around Christmas (Thank You Taun!) The kids had fun playing in the snow with cousins and riding in the sled pulled by the 4 wheeler. On Friday the 26th the kids all wanted to go to the church parking lot to have a bigger space for the sled so my sister and her husband took them. They had just gotten all ready to take off and somehow Benjamin fell out of the sled and it was pulled right over the top of him. My sister and her super-human strength pulled the sled off of him and rushed him back to grandma's house. He was screaming "I want a bandaid! I want a bandaid!" We put him in the car and took him to the instacare and after waiting for an hour the doctor informed us that he would be okay and no stitches were needed. He did so good letting the doctor look at his eye. He has a black eye now and lots of scrapes and bruises but he is fine. How lucky we were!

snow! Snow! SNOW!

On Saturday, we went to my parents house to trade them cars. (Ours was having some work done so they let us borrow their Durango, lets just say I want one!) We only had 1/2 and hour before we needed to get on the road again to Taun's parents house for the Beddes Christmas Party. My dad wanted to take Benjamin and Alex on a ride. We borrowed snow clothes from grandma (she has everything you need and even knows where to locate it!) Alex did not like it one bit but Benjamin loved every minute of it and did not want to leave.

This is Taun and Benjamin going for a ride.

I think he is having a good time.

Nobody was there to ride with him so he went alone.

He had the time of his life. Hopefully grandpa will have his four wheeler out and all gased up for Christmas Day.