How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Better than mine, I hope. Chris came down with the stomach flu Thanksgiving morning and left me to fend for myself and the turkey. We did get to spend Thanksgiving with some very dear friends who we still can't be thankful enough for. So that part was nice. Secretly though, I was mad at Chris for getting sick. Since Jacob's birth, I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually slept through the night. He just turned 9 months and is still not sleeping through the night. So, I was tired as usual. You would think I would get used to sleeping less after all this time. But I guess it's just been piling up on me.

You see, 3 weeks ago Jacob got the stomach flu (He's really got to stop putting his mouth on the shopping carts at Walmart.) It's was terrible. He threw up and had diarrhea pretty much back to back, plus fever. We took him to see a doctor. That night was one of the hardest nights. Jacob could only drink 1 tsp (5ml) of Pedialyte every 10 minutes for the first 2 hours and nothing else because anymore he would vomit. He was starving and crying. He was dehydrated. He didn't have any tears. He would sleep for 20 minutes and wake up starving and crying again. Slowly I increased the amount of Pedialyte per doctor's orders. 15 hours later I was able to give him 1-2 ounces of Pedialyte at a time without vomiting. Guess who stayed up with him all night? Moi.

A week later I came down with a cold. You know the usual runny nose, fever, body aches. I was enough to feel like a tank ran over me. Luckily it was the weekend and Chris didn't have to work that Saturday, so he watched the kids.

A week after that, the week of Thanksgiving, Jacob got sick again. This time he was having 103+ fevers that lasted for 3 days. On top of that 2 days before Thanksgiving Kaleigh got the stomach flu. So, that's how Chris got the stomach flu. But don't think that I escaped unscathed. The night after eating turkey and lots of other delicious food, it was my turn to experience the stomach flu. It was terrible. All I could do was puke and sleep. I didn't have the energy to do anything else. Chris was recovering himself and had to take 2 days off from work to take care of Kaleigh and Jacob while I recovered. Hey, at least I don't have to worry about those pounds from the food. However, we didn't get to go shopping on Black Friday like we had planned. Oh well... So, we don't have a TV yet. I guess we're lucky to at least get a wireless connection from someone in our apartment complex even if it is weak.

So, want to see some pictures of our apartment?

living room

dining room and kitchen

balcony

master bedroom

we get a 1/2 bath... yay!

kaleigh's room

washer and dryer

kaleigh and jacob hanging out on the red couch

view from balcony

our little tree

The Last Few Weeks

Sorry, I know it's been a while since our last post. We've been keeping busy. Chris is working and doesn't get home till about 6:30 - 7:00pm. When I'm not watching the kids, I'm either out shopping or reading. The Centerville Canyon Ward Relief Society Book Club has been reading the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers. Surprise, surprise! When I heard that they have a book club, my immediate thought was, "It's Utah. They're probably reading books written by church leaders." Especially, since majority of the members are senior citizens. (The ward boundaries were recently expanded so it would include younger families.) So, I was surprised to learn that they're reading Twilight. A sister who is a fan of the series was nice enough to lend me her copies so I can catch up. I'm enjoying the books so far. I'm currently reading the 2nd book, New Moon.

Kaleigh went Trick or Treating for the first time this Halloween. She went with Esther and Yan. Kaleigh and Esther were fairy princesses and Yan was Prince Charming. Before we left NY my mom bought Kaleigh the fairy costume. She thought it was cute and bought Esther one too. Jacob was a cowboy. He didn't like his cowboy hat at all. Kaleigh had a lot of fun and got too much candy for a 3 year old. Amazingly though, we put the candy away when we got home and she has forgotton about it. We also carved some pumpkins and made some cute Jack O'Lanterns. The house we are currently calling home is located in a cul-de-sac. On Halloween the neighbors lit a few fires in the circle and we roasted hot dogs.








We will be moving into our apartment in West Jordan by the end of this month. So far we've gone furniture hunting 2 times. We said that we were gonna get our furniture from Deseret Industries (DI) but we couldn not resist going to IKEA. We have never been to IKEA before and we love it. They have nice stuff for reason able prices. We already decided to get a couch, entertainment center, bookshelves, Kaleigh's bed and dresser at IKEA. They have a lot of cute stuff in the children's department. We are also really adamant about getting a red couch. We don't know why but we have to get a red couch!!



We saw our first snow in Utah this past Wednesday. The mountains are so beautiful when they're covered with snow! I took some pictures, but they're from the inside of a car while driving, so they don't do the mountains justice.



Also on Wednesday, I noticed that Jacob is finally getting some teeth. He's got 2 teeth coming out on the bottom. Jacob is now 8 months and is becoming a bit of trouble maker. He's cruising and climbing. The other day I turned my back for 2 minutes and he was gone. I found him in the bathroom splashing water in the toilet.

Peace, Out!
-Patricia

The First Few Days

It's been 4 days since Kaleigh, Jacob and I arrived in Utah and reunited with Chris, who came 1 month early to start his job. Already we are enjoying the fresh air and loving Deseret Industries (DI).

The flight was OK. It was about 5 hours. Jacob slept a total of about 45 minutes and was really fussy the rest of the time. He was restless as usual and wanted to get down to play. He finally clamed down when Naruto came on the TV screen about 45 minutes before we landed. Go figure. Kaleigh napped really well and behaved really well too. She ate some of the blue potato chips that JetBlue serves and after some turbulence she threw up all over herself. Poor kid. It was a good thing I had extra baby wipes and a change of clothes with me. I am sooo grateful that my dad insisted on coming along to help me.

We are currently staying with the Claytons - Paul, Jestina, Esther (3) and Yan (2). We are so grateful for their hospitality and friendship. They are sharing more than just their home with us. Kaleigh is overjoyed to have playmates everyday. Jacob loves to watch them play and sometimes wants to get in on the action. The Claytons have a huge home, by Brooklyn standards, and therefore lots of space for the kids to run around. Kaleigh and my dad get to have their own room!! There is a swing set, trampoline and farm in their yard, where they grew strawberries, squash, tomatoes, pumpkins, corn, watermelon... and I can't remember the rest. Today we picked the pumpkins.

On Monday Chris had a day off from work so we went apartment hunting. We saw 5 apartment complexes and we found one that we really like. It's got 2 bedrooms, a nice size living room, dining room, washer and dryer, dishwasher, food pantry, nice size closets and terrace. All for $760 a month. We hope we will get this apartment. Although, we wouldn't mind waiting if the process is slow because we are having a blast staying with the Claytons.

I have to say that my dad has been very helpful and has made it very easy for me to settle in and transition from Brooklyn to Utah. He has helped us with the kids, cooked dinner twice so far, gave us advice during our search for an apartment, explained the grid pattern in Utah and how to navigate the streets. He lived in Utah for a while when he went to BYU. As a teenager, I didn't like my dad always trying to give me advice. Now, I really appreciate it and have come to realize that he is more wise and knowledgeable than I give him credit for.

Here are some pictures to feast on:

View from the front of the house & Statues from a neighbor's yard


Jacob wants to come out to play


The Farm

And So Our Journey Begins

So, yep... We are moving to Utah. This is major step for our family. Brooklyn will always be our home and our roots. For Chris and Patricia anyway. We will miss our family and friends. We will miss all the different restaurants. Indian, Vietnamese, Malaysian... Mmmmm. Brooklyn will always make the best pizza. You must check out DiFara's Pizza on Ave J and E 14th Street (thanks to Cherry for introducing this place to Patricia.) The guy actually grows the herbs that he puts in his pizzas in the front window.




We will make handball the new state sport. Take that BYU Cougars and Utah Jazz! We will try not to sound too "white" and do our best to keep our Brooklyn accents. Aiight! We will graffiti every billboard we see. Kaleigh will dump out her potty on the street curb, so we won't forget the Brooklyn smell.



We hope to come back to visit at least once a year, if not more. Take care everyone. We won't forget you!