Birthday Party!

This is what Reece's cake looked like right before his party.

He has spent the last two days snitching at it. Don't worry, I had cupcakes for the kids to eat! Reece, Jackie, Brayden, and Levi. They are all Best buddies.

They are showing off their frog puppets!
The excitement of eating your own birthday cake!
Levi and Brayden

Reece & Jackie

We had Reece's birthday party today! We spent the morning decorating (he spent the morning snitching at his cake) and then Reece waited patiently for his friends to arrive. We were happy to get 2/3's of the invitee's to show up. It seems like everyone is sick around here. We played some fun games, made Frog puppets (which were a HUGE hit...the boys had a blast drawing insects on the frogs tongues), ate Reece's frog cake, and then opened presents. Happy and successful birthday party!

Precious moments...

It's a rare occasion when Reece asks for food; until the pop tarts were invented! He has realized that he can have a pop tart anytime he wants--and he takes advantage of it. I just wish I could dip them in oil to add more calories and fatten him up! :) Benson LOVES food. I can't keep him away from it. In his dream world he would always have food in one hand and a car in the other.

Precious moment: Reece and Benson felt awful on Monday. While they were watching a movie I went outside and jumped our car b/c the battery was dead and when I came back inside this is what I found:
Two tired and sick boys cuddled together! My heart melted. I hope these two remain best friends throughout their lives. Brotherly love is priceless.

I'm starting to realize that it's not the big events that make life worthwhile--it's those simple daily moments I have with my family that make life so fun. Tonight the boys played balloon tornados with Spencer and our house was filled with children laughing, screaming, running, crashing, and lots of love. I don't mean to be so cheezy, but it's true, those are the moments I want to remember forever. I am a proud mom of three boys!

Happy Birthday Reece!!!

Today was a much anticipated day for Reece. His three best buddies all had birthdays within the past 4 months and so he has been WAITING for his turn. Unfortunately, the boys are still sick so we had to move his friend party to tomorrow (meaning even MORE pictures coming tomorrow!). But we still had a lot of fun. He woke up to a bike surrounded by balloons. We had breakfast, went on a bike ride, had quite time, made his frog cake (our tradition is we all make the cake together), played with the balloons ALL DAY, opened presents, went to McDonalds and brought home Happy meals (for the boys), and then had cake and ice cream! Reece was hyper the whole day--for some reason he was jabber jaws today. He had the funniest comments and stories today--mostly about things pertaining to science.
Here goes the mass of pictures:


Reece and his weather book. He was so excited you could hardly tell what he was saying.

Math book.

I told Reece he couldn't have gum until he was 4--this is him showing off his gum. I think he looks so grown up and handsome!

M




My little helpers. Don't worry, Reece didn't stick the whisks back in the bowl after licking it!

His new bike!!

Bath Time!

I LOVE taking pictures of the boys in the bath tub! It seems like every kid has a couple pictures playing in the tub with their siblings. Look how big the boys are getting. It's crazyness! I told Spencer the other day that our boys are no longer babies. They are true toddlers (this is not me hinting that I need a baby!). Most places we go my hands are empty (besides my Mary Poppins bag! Gotta love it!).

Reece turns 4 tomorrow!
Benson turns 2 in a month and sleeps in the bunk bed with Reece.

This was our first picture. They both are thinking, "OH NO...it's mom again with her camera. She's a crazy lady!"

Little Update:

REECE: I thought we were going to make it through the winter with no Emergency Room visits--but I was wrong. We had to take Reece in Saturday morning because he was at the start of another asthma attack. Luckily-I listened to my instincts (and my Mother calling me every 5 minutes telling me to take him in) and got him some care before it went to south. Its amazing how fast his asthma can go downhill. A couple hours of waiting can be the difference of a 5 hour visit verses a couple days visit. Anyway, his oxygen was at 91 and he was super lethargic and pale. They got us right in, gave him some dexamethasone (super strong steroid which helps with the inflammation) and put him on a continuous albuteral treatment with oxygen for an hour. After 4 hours he was back to normal and was flying his new car through the ER dodging all the nurses in his path. Luckily Dad gave us his I-touch to play with--Reece was happy as a clown and all is well. His asthma is still bothering him, but I'm sure within a couple days it will be gone.

Benson: Benson's BG's have been horrible for the past 7 months. About 2 weeks ago I started losing hope that it would ever get better. I have worked so hard to figure out his body (I check him 11-13 times/24 hours) and it seems like once we get it somewhat working, then he goes through a growth spurt and we are back to ground zero. I have waited to post our news because I didn't want to jinx it and I wanted to make sure it wasn't a fluke--but I can officially say we have figured him out and for once in his life and his BG's are under control. His averages have mostly been in the 200's until now. Check out his new averages:

7 day avg: 149

14 day avg: 159

30 day avg: 187

The only unfortunate news is that every day he has atleast 1-2 hyperglycemia's in the 40-50's. So we will have to make some more corrections and hopefully they won't make him go high again.

Happy Day! Our boys are doing very well and Reece can hardly wait for his birthday party tomorrow! I'm sure I'll have lots more pictures and updates about that!

Reece wonders...

Dr. Reece Ivan MillerSanta gave Spencer & Reece a skeleton for Christmas!

The latest from Reece:

1) He saw a picture of a kidney in his friends book today and said (in a very sophisticated voice), "mom, that's a kidney". He knows his organs better than I do!

2) At the beginning of the week we were talking about where our food goes after it leaves our mouth. This is how our dialogue went:

Reece: Mom, where does out food go after it goes through our mouth?

Juliann: It goes down our throat, into our stomach, through our colon...

Reece interrupts: no Mom, it goes through our intestines first and then our colon

Juliann: oh ya, you are right. And then it turns into poop and out it comes (there is no beating around the bush--we just get to the point!)

3) Reece and Spencer had a stomach bug last week and so Reece was fascinated about what was happening in his body, why he was throwing up, and how was his body going to kill the stomach bug? So next time you see him, ask him how to kill a stomach bug! With a little prompting he will tell you that the antibodies in our blood which are good guys will kill the bad stomach bug and then you won't throw up any more. For the remainder of the week if he didn't want to eat something he would say, "oh, I can't eat that because I have a stomach bug and it will make me throw up". Little stinker!

4) He is OBSESSED with Hurricanes, Tornado's, winter storms, volcano's, and floods. That is ALL we talk about on a daily basis. It amazes me how action-packed my boys are. They are fascinated with anything that has action in it. It has been fun to see the "boy world"--girls and boys are wired COMPLETELY different. I can prove it!

Coupon crazy lady!

Last week I FINALLY figured out the whole coupon craze (with a lot of help from my mama!) and got a KILLER deal!! I was pretty pathetic during the whole process. As I was filling up my cart my heart was racing a million miles a minute (for some reason I thought someone was going to tell me I couldn't take that many) and then after I slowly filled my cart I started walking toward the cash register. At this point I almost wet my pants--I was so nervous they were going to shoot me down. Fortunately, I saw the self-checkout line was empty and took the opportunity to not present myself in front of an Albertsons employee and quickly checked out! I was SUPER PROUD of myself & I didn't wet my pants or have a heart attack.

Here was my deal:

5-Captain Crunch cereal boxes

3-boxes of oatmeal packets

6-Life cereal boxes

11-boxes of granola bars

TOTAL: $104.94

subtract all my coupons plus taking advantage of Albertsons sale

=$10.00!!!

WHOA BABY!! True awesomeness!

One year anniversary from dx

Benson had his one year anniversary from diagnosis (dx) on December 27th. Since then I have contemplated how our lives have changed and what we have learned from our experiences. I wanted to share some thoughts about it:

1)We have received countless blessings from him becoming a diabetic. My testimony of the plan of salvation has been strengthened. It's comforting to know that this disease will only be with him during this life and that his body will be restored to perfection in the next life. It's easier for me to see the bigger picture of why we are here on earth and what our purpose is. I have had many experiences this past year that have made me appreciate how precious our lives are and how close our Heavenly Father is. It's comforting to know that Heavenly Father is in control of our lives and gives us help when we are in need of it.

2) The scariest part about the disease short-term is him going into hypoglycemia. I have spent many nights worrying about Benson and just praying that he will be fine during the night. Dr.Christensen told us that if his BG's go really low during the night he will have a seizure which will send glucagon through his system and bring him out of hypoglycemia. That is not a comforting thought. I worry more during the night then I do during the day about Benson's BG's.

3) We can't always control what we are given to deal with, but we can always control our attitudes. I have realized that no matter the situation--there is always something positive that can be learned. We aren't given trials to make us miserable, we are given them to strengthen us and teach us to be better human beings. Our family is stronger because of diabetes. It is easy to see the Lords hand in our lives. Here are some examples:
a) We were accepted to UW med school and were placed 6 hours away from home during our first year of school when Benson was dx. This allowed me to visit home often during our transition into our new lives. What a great Blessing!
b) We had many miracles and special experiences during the 2-day period when he was diagnosed--I felt very close to heaven and my Savior during those times. This helped me accept his condition with a grateful heart.
c) I have been given a calling that keeps me in touch with families who are either living at the hospital or Ronald McDonald House with children who also have medical conditions. I feel a lot of support and comfort from these people. Their spirits and attitudes are contagious and I feel very fortunate to have made strong friendships with them.
d) We live 1 mile from Seattle Children's hospital--what more can we ask for? They have treated us with love, compassion, and have given us LOTS of attention. I put my full trust in them. We are fortunate to be able to use their resources and knowledge. Barb (our nurse) is a full-time nurse who specializes in infant/toddler BG's. We talked almost on a daily basis during Benson's transition onto the pump. We could not have done it without her.

4) Reece prepared us for Benson. When Reece was an infant we learned the hard way that he was severely allergic to milk. It was a struggle to get him to eat and his weight was far below the 0 percentile line. When Benson was dx my first thought was "oh, this will be easy--atleast there is a solution to everything. If he's low then give him sugar, if he's high then give him insulin". Unfortunately I was naive in thinking that, but it helped! Reece and Benson are normal kids but both have health issues (one can't have milk or nuts and the other has to count carbs--no big deal). My hope is they will embrace their differences and be stronger because of it.

It has been a good year. It has been a rewarding experience to look back and see how we have overcome our obstacles. It wasn't always easy, our transition onto the pump was a very emotional experience for me, but I feel empowered now that I have accomplished it. It is still a daily struggle to get his numbers in target range, but we will get there. I just have to remember to have patience, be exact with my carb counting, and enjoying the blessings that come from it.

Lots of updating...here we go!

My computer is having troubles and so the writing is on the bottom of this post. I'm sorry it's the longest post ever but I'm getting ready to print it and so I wanted to squeeze in LOTS of pictures!

Why is it that everytime mommy has a party one of my kids has a meltdown (this was during Sarah's baby shower)?

The high school crew!!Reece Ivan Miller

My sister Natalie and her friend. Natalie is one of the funniest people I have ever met. She had us rolling on the floor in laughter all break!

Benson Mark Miller (notice the two trains in his hand...he ALWAYS has something in each hand. No matter where we go, what we are doing, they are always occupied w/ something)

He looks like a funny old man!

The Dunkley Girls! We all went out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory!

This is my life with Reece. We play games and put together puzzles. Notice Benson in the

back--both hands are full with trains!! Love those kids!

My Grandma & Grandpa Dunkley (notice Bensons train?)

Sisters! I told Nicole I was going to do her hair and make-up for the New Years SND and she had a fit. Of course when I was done she was bouncing off the walls saying thank you....she's awesome and very beautiful!

Ewwww...PDA yes way! Happy 5 year Anniversary to the lovebirds! I can still remember how giddy and disfunctional I was when I met Spence. I couldn't believe I was actually dating my fantasy guy. 3 weeks of saying, "all I want for my birthday is a date with Spencer (yes...it was that cheezy) 5 weeks of dating and being in lala land, 3 months of engagement, and boom...another one bites the dust!! What a glorious story!

Reece spent way to much time reading Calvin and Hobbes. He's now been banned from the comic book because he started to act like him:

Grandpa Miller with the boys

Chad got a air hockey table for Christmas. The boys LOVED playing with it. Each time Benson scored he would throw his hands in the air like this:

Starfall.com. It's the best website and it teaches kids their ABC's!

This is how they act all the time--loving brothers! hehe I wish!

Seattle Aquarium.

I love this picture! Spencer looks hot, Benson is telling me to hurry up, and Reece is being a goof ball. That double stroller has saved my life. It's practically part of the family.

Mom and Reece at Alki Beach

Beautiful eyes.

Miller family photo

I love this picture. I took it in my parents pasture with my camera that came from Santa! If I was a puzzle maker, I would buy this for atleast $1,000. hhaha just kidding

I also love this picture! My Dad will laugh if he reads this...but I really think I want farm animals someday. I know i'm the most pathetic farm daughter--but it's growing on me and I actually do enjoy feeding the animals. I just don't appreciate it when they start chasing me, which causes me to wet my pants, and almost gives me a heart attack.

Dunkely family: doing what we do best--playing games!

Crazy miller family!

I wanted to give an update on what the Miller fam has been up too (it's really just for journal purposes). If you get bored, stop reading and have some ice cream! It will make you feel better!

Spencer: Spencer is busy as ever with school. He has fallen in love with medicine and loves to study. Last semester was very successful and this new one has so far been super busy. It's crazy to think that he only has one semester of book work and then he will be in the hospitals/clinics for the remaining 2 years. I feel like he is graduating in June but really we are only in the beginning stages of our adventure to become a doctor.

Juliann: I am really enjoying Seattle. I love my apartment complex, my friends, and all the fun things Seattle has to offer. I am easily entertained--driving on the freeways, walking downtown, taking the boys on walks or to the zoo are just a couple things that make me love Seattle. I feel fortunate to have good friends who I can call up on a whim and go hang out with. I would be miserable without them.

This is going to sound cheezy, but hey, I am the definition of cheeze! I really love being a mom and a wife and I feel so blessed to have a great husband who supports me in EVERYTHING and two awesome boys who constantly make me feel loved. It's almost a surreal thought that I have my own family. Time has flown by--Spencer and I have been married for 5 years!! It's been a fun experience for me to look back on the past 5-6 years and see how the Lord has prepared us for the experiences we have had and has directed us to the right places and people to help us along the way. The past 5 years have been packed with great memories, experiences, and growth. I feel very blessed to live the life I have and to have three great families (Dunkley's, Millers, and of course mine and Spencer's little family!).

Reece: Geez, where do I start? He is a gas in a half. I'll tell you just a couple stories that will give you an idea of his personality:

1) During the Christmas break, Reece woke up one morning and said to Spencer, "Dad, my blood went through my kidney, and my kidney made pee...so I have to go pee". No Spencer is not training Reece to be a doctor, he pulled this out of a Dr. Suess book that we hadn't read for months (you never know when they are paying attention).

2) On our way to Boise we stopped at a Burger King for lunch. We sat down and I gave Benson some chicken nuggets. He immediately threw them on the floor and in a joking voice I said, "Benson, you little fart". You better believe it--I knew I was in trouble--Reece stood up on the bench and repeated my words as loud as he could announcing to everyone that I just called Benson a little fart. I learned the hard way to watch my language.

3) Reece has been a super good kid lately. October-December were rough months (mostly due to the fact that I was consumed with Benson's diabetes and so Reece lacked attention--of course I didn't realize it until after it was over). Ever since we got home he has done everything in his power to make me happy. He gives me compliments all the time and is always trying his best to be a good boy. He is a great older brother and does a great job looking out for Benson.

4) Reece sings "Hark the Hearld Angels Sing" ALL DAY LONG. He has the whole song memorized!

Benson: Benson is my cuddle buddy. He is the sweetest kid you will ever meet. Every where we go (whether it's upstairs or outside) he has to have something in each hand. He doesn't go anywhere without both hands full. He is obsessed with cars, trains, and balls and will chase Reece around the house all day long. He eats like a champ and is pretty chill. Whenever I think about Benson I think about his continuous hugs, kisses, and his playful personality. His big brown eyes will melt your heart. Like his brother and Dad, he loves to tease! He is growing like a weed and learning new words every day. Benson loves cats and dogs (he is fearless around them). He started a new game--he hits Reece and then gives him a kiss to make up. They both think it's hilarious but i'm afraid it might not be funny when he does it in Nursery. Benson has many hidding places for his toys, the most popular is the VHS slot. Yesterday I found 4 cars and a remote in there. Crazy kid! :)

**For the last week Benson has been walking around the house saying "Halo". At first I thought he was saying "Hello", but after listening to Beyonce's song "halo" Benson started saying it over and over again and that is when I realized he is singing Halo!! haha

Handsome little boys...

Benson and Reece have been so funny lately. Here are just a couple things they have done that have made me laugh...

*First of all, you have to know that Reece and Benson LOVE to run around. Our next house will have a track in the back yard for them to get their crazy energy out. Yesterday I had them dressed perfectly for church with their hair combed and hairsprayed (pathetic...I know) and with only 5 minutes before we needed to leave they decided to play tag around the table. They ran in circles tagging each other while laughing hysterically. It was precious.

*Reece was playing Curious George on the computer today and Benson sat next to him without touching the computer (miracle). I would look over at them occassionaly and Benson would have his head on Reece's head, or he would put his arm around Reece, and of course by the end he was driving his cars on Reece's back. I thought it was so cute that Reece let him do all this. No fighting, crying, pushing...nothing. Now that is a true miracle!