We're having a baby!!

We are having baby number 3. So, miracle Chambers baby number 3! I've had the big anatomy ultrasound to see that everything is alright and so we felt it was time to share the news.

We made the decision to not find out if it's a boy or girl. I was so nervous the whole ultrasound because I kept thinking I would look over and see the sex written on the screen. They assured me they mark my file so the nurses won't ever "give it away"

We are so so so so so super excited for this little baby to come.

SO, we waited about 1 month and went out and bought a van. I have really wanted to have a van for so long for so many reasons. And now... we have our van. we all like it alot. I like being able to take other kids in the car with us and help out when needed. it's just a joy. We're really happy with our purchase. Now if I can just figure the automatic door buttons out?!#

Due leap year. (they think that due date it just hysterical in the office:) Will actually by 2/22/12.

We've been riding bikes and EZ loves to push his cart around. We finally found the piece to our bike trailer and had such a fun time riding bikes as a family with EZ in the trailer. It won't be long before he rides a bike. (He went to the bathroom on the toilet today!! well, near the toilet...i wasn't patient to wait for him and shut the lid and then he had to go and went right in front of the toilet. So, that counts right?)
B-rad celebrated a birthday a little while ago. We sure love him and I am sooooo lucky to be married to him and the kids to have him as their dad.
EZ loves to have his "blank" on his head. I love it.
She could be dancing all day. Just bought her first ballet shoes and taps are on the way.
Such a handsome little dude.
These two are the sweetest together. She loves having someone to "lead" around. And he loves to be "led". They play and play and play and then ask me to play some more.

Chambers family is happy and good. Hope you all are too.

Our dog Starsky

Our little dog Starsky died unexpectedly. We will surely surely miss this little guy.

Brad and I decided we wanted a dog about a year after we were married. One day we went to a little pet shop and this adorable dog named Murphy met us at the door. He looked like Starsky. From that moment we knew we wanted a Boston Terrier. So we started checking the newspaper and finally the stars aligned and we found someone who had 2 boston terrier pups for sale. The guy brought a girl and boy dog to my parents house where we were living at the time and "tested" us out with the dogs. First we held the girl and she was kind of hyper and then we held Starsky and he just cuddled right up to me. The man was really pressing that we buy the girl but we fell in love with Starsky from the beginning. For a couple of days we called the guy and he decided he wasn't going to sell the dogs. We were heartbroken. But then shortly after he called us and decided that we could have the dog but he wanted us to take the girl and we told him we really wanted the boy dog. So eventually, we met him at a neutral location and he told us we "fit" the personality for owners of his boston terrier dogs. We both recall him telling us he would call us shortly for a reunion with all the dogs. Weird. So Starsky came home to our family. Brad, Starsky, and me. As we had kids my lap just got bigger for a baby AND Starsky and then 2 babies and Starsky. He will move himself right into the center of whatever we are doing and I'm certain he thought he was a person.

Brad worked nights and I worked days so Brad pretty much trained the dog. He did good from the get go and was just a cuddle dog with big eyes and big pointy ears.

From the beginning Starsky had a soft spot for me. He always laid right behind my knees and everytime Brad left in the morning he jumped up and laid right next to me. He knew just where to lay to be snuggled and stroked. He'd follow me everywhere (to the bathroom where he'd wait on the carpet) and today Brad commented that I don't have my "shadow" anymore.

He let us pet him and play with him and run with him.

Brad took him on overnight backpacking trips to the Uintahs.

One time we camped and as we were settling in for the night, I heard a pee sound and Brad say, "oh man." Starsky had whizzed all over his sleeping bag...the entrance to his sleeping bag right where his head should go. Starsky new where to run and always did...right to me. He slept in my bag with me that night and kept me cozy warm.

We enrolled Starsky in a dog trick school. He would run those dog obstacle courses so fast and he was so agile. The instructor told us we should consider getting private lessons and entering him in contests. He was a pretty fast trickster.

Above all else, Starsky has been with us for every move, every house rental, every night I had to go to sleep alone because of medical school, every long trip back and forth to Utah. Chloe tells people we have 3 kids. Chloe, Ezra, and Starsky.

When the kids are in bed for the night it's me and Starsky and reality tv. He was the man of the house while Brad lived in Cincinnati and Seattle for 2 months last summer.

Whenever we'd take him for walks people would always comment about what a goodlooking dog he was. We lucked out with all our moves and trips back to Utah with people who would care for our dog for free. We only kenneled him once and we found that he has depression. He just loves us so and does not love being cages in a kennel. Brad picked him up and they had him in a diaper. A diaper! Brad said it was pretty embarassing picking your dog up and seeing him in a diaper. So after that we always had neighbors who loved starsky like their own for weeks on end.

He was a free spirit who introduced us to what "fleas" are and gave me a quick introduction to the courts/legal syster of Kirksville, Missouri.

Once he ate a package off of someone's porch and when I went to return the eaten goods I found it was a house full of college students and they didn't mind a bit. He said his mom sent him stuff all the time and he was glad the dog enjoyed it.

Part of our trips back to utah always include the awesome dog park at Tanner Park, planning hikes up Millcreek (which is dog friendly) and hiking Ensign peak.

He would bark when people came over and demanded attention whenever me and Brad were together for a few minutes talking.

He was a perfect companion and friend and we will forever miss the little guy.

Chloe will miss feeding him and getting him dog toys and using his new dog bowl. After he died Chloe said, "it's okay. He'll be resurrected like grandpa and atleast you still have me and Ezra."

Ezra will miss feeding him all his table food.

Brad will miss his late night walks and waiting for him to go to the bathroom each night.

Luckily, our sister in law and brother in law are in town and they are making the transition a little bit better. Tuesday morning, when Brad goes to work and it's just us at home, i'll be listening for his little footsteps and probably tap the bed once and hope to see him soar on top of me and put his head right under my arm and wait to be snuggled.
STARSKY CHAMBERS 2006-2011

I've been wanting to post some things

I've been wanting to post some randomness for awhile and the thing that got me motivated to sit down and dedicate the time was an unopenable dietcoke.

So stroll down this experience with me...

I made burgers tonight and I love me a good "spicy beverage" with fat food. So, I had the kids all set, my plate all fixed up and i ran to the sink to open my drink. I have to do it incognito or they just want to drink it. Don't judge! To clarify before we go further, I am not a DC addict nor do I have dreams about where my next DC will come from. I just like one every once in a while like with mexican food, chinese food, or fat food. So, back to the bottle. I start opening it and it wouldn't budge and i laughed a little and tried again. Still, no budge, AT ALL. I started thinking, "surely my muscles have no atrophied in the last couple of days" I got the towel out and tried for some traction and still...nothing. Really! At this point, I'll admit, there was some saliva forming at the corners of my mouth and I was really starting to (whisper) kind of panic. I was really wanting that dang drink. So I tried again. And 3 more times. Nothing. By this point I was kind of sweating and I won't mention the hallucinations my mind was playing on me at this point at the possibilities of how i might obtain a spicy beverage to accompany my caloric meal. So...I tried one last time and...Nothing. So, i busted out the knife and started irrationally cutting at the lid. Pause. Has this ever happened to any of you?? I started thinking that if perhaps I actually did get into the drink it may be poisoned because is it possible that someone opened the bottle, put something dangerous inside, and the sealed it with glue? I'm just saying?

So, anyway, I used the knife to go around the perforated part and I had connection but the lid still would not budge. At this point I started to think about aborting the plan and making crystal light. My burger was getting cold. But I persisted with the knife and found that it I inserted the knife at just such an angle I could produce several drops and then it occured to me rather than just watch those drops like they were the first and last dew drops on a desert leaf, I could put my cup there and catch them. Eventually, I got a full cup but the culprit still sits "unopened" in the fridge. What an endeavor for some cola, I say.

Chloe the fish. She swims from one side of the pool to the other by herself. She is "fearless" according to her teachers. She told them she wanted to learn a flip off the diving board so they spent 3 sessions one on one teaching her how. Finally, she said, "mom will you tell them I don't want to learn how to do a flip until i'm 7 or 16." She loves cannon balls of the diving board and spread eagles, too. It's fun to watch her and makes me so glad I can have eyes on EZ at the pool now and feel confident that she can swim.
I laughed the entire time shopping in Target. What is this thing???
Doctor Brad. So, so, so proud of him. His life is dedicated to helping others. Seriously, if I could name all the people and times he has just helped someone in their life for the better.
Where we live.

This post is gonna be about EZ

So here is the little dude. I love that every picture we have of him he is doing this face. This was the last picture we took of his luscious, flowing, feathery white hair. I knew the minute we buzzed his head he would "grow up" and that's what happened. He looks like such a big boy now.

In action.
The look.
Not really knowing what was going on but Chloe was closeby cheering him on.
The affectionately termed "stink eye".

A rare smile with the two of them together. At Cracker Barrel. I've decided I am going to document the dinner outing we will surely be doing on one of Brad's 3 days (total) off a month.
Ezra really likes to climb up on things. Because he is small it's easier for me to just tend to set him on things. he is sporting his squeeker shoes. I get more comments on these shoes than "hellos" in a day. chloe had a pair, too and we loved them. with Ezra I've noticed they actually fulfill a purpose by helping me keep track of this wandering free spirit.
We discovered McDonalds is just up the road from us and 3 dollars for 3 sundaes is well worth it (Ode to Grandma Ruthie). I hadn't eaten at McDonalds in years before I became pregnant with EZ and now we find ourselves eating there for playing there more and more. Those dang chicken nuggets and the sauces are so tempting. Really, are there people actually out there that order their "healthy options"??
Cutest mug ever.
So I'm not sure if you can tell the difference in the pictures but this one below is a picture of EZ in the ER with a broken nose. I regret not taking pictures of him with one hand while I tried to steer the car with the other as I drove as fast as I could to the ER trying to keep him awake because his eyes were rolling back in his head and he looked like he may slip into a coma. The doctor told me, " take someone with you to the ER so you can keep him awake." I told her i didn't have anyone. She said, "find someone" and hung up. So, anyway we made it there fine and met Brad at the entrance and, surprise, surprise, guess who made a turn in his recover?. Maybe he just needed to see me (he was at a babysitter when it happened), to see Brad, or just have some one on one time with both of us. In any case, he is doing fine. I'm not sure if his nose will need to be repaired later on. He can't breath out of it at all but atleast it doesn't look crooked. The part I couldn't capture on this photo is that his lip stuck out like the Jim Carrey Grinch. He was slightly horrifying to look at right after it happened but I can say that now that the swelling is going down and I would love him regardless:)

Lets see, what other things about EZ:

He loves to play in the sink, he loves books which he calls "boooots".

He loves loves his blanket and will cuddle it and lay it down and lay on it all around the house.

He idolizes Chloe.

He eats really good when we get him to stay in the chair long enough to sample what is in front of him.

I had him tested for speech and other things (it's a free service here in Illinois and I'm so glad i did it) and he passed with flying colors. Who knew that some kids (um...remember we had precocious Chloe first) don't readily speak at 18 months and some like to just play by themselves! He scored really well on the cognitive stuff and relationship stuff just like I thought. He's a happy little guy who will talk to most anyone after you pass the "stink eye" test.

Tonsils

The day came and here we are waiting for the surgery to start. They gave her a personal DVD player to keep her entertained.

This bandage was a highlight. The saddest part was going from this cute bandage to the boring brown bandage they gave her when they took her IV out. That really made her cry.
It was a successful surgery and recovery. We're 3 weeks done and she's totally back to normal.

Today, Chloe came into my room and said,

"How much do glasses cost."

"Glasses are expensive. Like 100-200 dollars." (I knew where this was headed)

"What do you want glasses for?" I asked her.

"I know Daddy really needs a pair but their expensive and so I want to give him my money from my piggy bank." She produces her piggy bank from behind her back.

Insert melting heart and big hugs and 1 hour of counting quarters and other change.

"I have 22 dollars" (in quarters, we didn't count the other stuff)

"Maybe I'll give dad this many (3 dollars) and I'll keep this for if I go to the store and want to buy something"

Later that day,

"What's that jar up there mom?"

"That's our Disneyland jar." (or just the jar to put loose pennies I find everywhere)

"Can I go get my piggy bank and we can count my money again and I'll put some money in there!"

Alot more pictures...

We love spending time with our parents/grandparents. It's really really fun to see the kids with their grandparents.

Grandma Nancy
And cousins...we try and cram in a years worth of bonding and memories...They play so good together. The older cousins love the younger ones and make them feel so good and the young ones play with a bond that only cousins have. (my brothers two cute boys and EZ)

Our awesome niece Morgan graduated highschool. Highschool!! She's the neatest girl. We love you Morgan.
Ezra had fun watering everything.
We bought a 2 dollar sprinkler and had endless fun with it.


B-rad has to cram all his exercise adventures into our vacations back to family and the gorgeous Utah mountains. He and Jeff went on this beautiful hike together.
My sister Amy and her husband Steve invited us on an early morning hike. Their friends had hiked up before and brought a little breakfast surprise. Gorgeous Utah moutains. I love them.
EZ at the Zoo.
The dinosaur exhibits at the Zoo were pretty cool. Why am i capitalizing Zoo?!
The Zoo with sweet Grandma Ruthie.
Pedicures for Grandma Ruthie's b-day and my sister invited us to tag-along.
BearLake games with Brad's side.
They had to get in the water. Freezing and rising.
More cousins. These little girls play like they never skipped a beat.
I like feet pictures.
Brad's triathlon. We competed in this Salem tri a few years before and the bike portion was canceled. The water temp was warmer than the air temp that year. Crazy triathlon weather and memories. This year Brad and Jeff got their dad and older brother to compete along side of them. It was fun to watch.
B-rad successfully sprinted past this dude in red.
After the pass. Brad is just good at running and biking and really anything he does. I've probably mentioned it but during my first half marathon, I was a little nervous and that morning Brad woke up and said, "i think i'll run it with you." Um...okay. He didn't train a bit and just ran happily alongside me and kept me running and successful. That's just how he is. Irritatingly good without training a bit. But that makes me happy because he doesn't have time to.
Here they are in their glory.
Hiking up at Ensign peak.
I did a women of steel try. It was really fun to do with with all girls.
Early on in my "event" life I decided there was really no point for ugly pictures. So though I don't look like I'm trying hard with my happy smile I am. When I did my first marathon Brad told me i didn't have to keep waving and thanking the people for coming out to watch. I think the smiling keeps me from crying.
And that sums up our summer in Utah, etc. Can't wait till we go back.