Back to REAL Life

Winter is almost out of here and we are all smiles!  Jett received a new piece of physical therapy equipment (a stander) and he is looking like such a big boy in it.  His favorite place to stand and play is right next to our back door with the sun shining on his face.  I love having a piece of equipment that actually DOES something for his muscles, his bone density, his lungs...I could go on and on. For some reason, Jett's favorite "toy" is this Christmas garland.  It must be the color and/or shine, but he just goes for it.  He's usually not happy unless he is interacting with another human, but put some Christmas garland in front of him and he's hooked for at least five minutes...gives me time to go to the bathroom or something. LOL.

  A couple weekends ago, I left my little Jett man with Cody for the entire weekend while I went to a wedding for my college friend, Kara, in Savannah, Georgia.  From what I hear, Jett and his daddy partied, ate ice cream, and stayed up late without mommy around! Even though it was so strange to fly somewhere by myself, I found great comfort in knowing that Jett had his daddy to take such good care of him.  With that said, I had the TIME OF MY LIFE!!  I can't believe that my college friends and I haven't planned a girls trip sooner because we had a blast.  Kara was a STUNNING bride and I was so happy to be there to witness her marriage.  Savannah is such a beautiful town; a town that I have always wanted to visit.  I shared a hotel room with my friends Ally and Jana and when we reunited, it was just like old times!  

I've been lucky in the traveling department lately because the following week (just last weekend), Cody, Jett, and I went to Chicago, which is hands down, one of my favorite U.S. cities.  Cody and his dad had a Special Care Dentistry conference to attend so while they sat in boring lecture after lecture (from what I hear...haha), Jett and I got to tour the city.  Our hotel (thank you Jerald) was right in the heart of the city so you could literally walk out the front door and you were downtown.  I LOVED IT!  To sum up Chicago in two words, they would be: FOOD & WALKING.  It's definitely good that we did a lot of walking because we sure ate a lot of good food.  We didn't have a meal that we didn't love.  We had Chicago Dogs at Portillo's, Stuffed Pizza at Lou Malnati's, Carne Asada at Cantina Laredo, and the BIGGEST meal that I have ever seen at Hash House A-Go-Go.  Oh my, just thinking about it, makes my stomach feel bloated.  We've definitely had to go back to our healthy eating ways (for the most part) now that we're back in Omaha. 

We're back to real life now, but real life isn't so bad!  It's crazy busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Jett is my main focus (and my favorite at that) and I've had the privilege to be doing and working on a lot of other things as well.  I took an aerial yoga class a couple weeks ago, which felt wonderful, but I'm pretty sure I'm still dizzy from hanging upside down.  I've also been busy working as a Director of Marketing for The Shanahan Plan.  It really is one of the funnest and most challenging jobs that I've ever had.  I love creating and writing new Paleo recipes, coming up with marketing strategies, and expanding Terry's online business.  We have some really fun things in the works, which include a collaboration with my Paleo Plate Treat business. 

  

Cody is incredibly busy with school and finals, but is getting closer and closer every day to being finished.  He gets tired of studying and will usually find a good reason to not do so...it typically involves playing with Jett, but can you blame him?

Oh UTAH, How We Missed You!

I'm going to take the fact that I haven't written on our blog in MONTHS as a good thing.  

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS, right?

It's true, we have nothing bad to report from the Boseman household!  We made it through the rough Omaha winter without any major sickness or hospital visits.  I am seriously amazed at how far Jett has come.  He is thriving and is one happy boy.  

Our little family (including Kusaba) hadn't been back to Utah to visit family since Christmas 2012.  If you want to know how that ended up, read HERE.  Just know, however, that it wasn't good.  We weren't sure if Jett was going to make it because of how sick he became.  Thus, the thought of returning to Utah has been a rather scary thought.  

Taking Jett on a commercial aircraft that is chuck full of people's recycled nasty germs just makes me want to slather myself and Jett in sanitizer and never go anywhere.  However, we took a giant leap of faith and made the trip out at the beginning of March.  For Cody, this trip wasn't necessarily a vacation, but a chance to get some real world clinical experience at a Salt Lake dental clinic.  His externship was scheduled for a two-week period and I wasn't about to let him go back home to Utah without us!

To make a long story short, the trip was AMAZING.  Jett didn't get sick once and was full of smiles and cuddles for family and friends.  Kusaba was able to fly out with us as well (thanks to my mom for buying him a plane ticket!) and quickly made new friends with my parent's new dog, Wyatt. Although I was busy with work stuff, which I'll get to in a minute, I was able to meet up with old friends and hang out with my family.  It was so nice to be back home where you are surrounded by mountains and the people you love.  Don't get me wrong, we love Omaha, but it's definitely not anything great to look at!  The first day we were back in Utah, I was snapping pictures of the mountains left and right.  You really forget how beautiful they are when you don't live there anymore...sigh, the things I took for granted.

Some of my favorite moments in Utah were:

* Seeing my Aggiette friend, Amy, and attending a couple Crossfit classes with her.

* Going out to lunch and catching up with my childhood best friend, Kara.

* Watching Jett interact (in his own special way) with his grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousins, and his cute little friend, Harvey.

* Acting a little crazy at Walmart with my sister, Tiffany.  (I miss her!)

* Attending Harvey's 1st birthday.  Harvey is our friends, Jason and Becky's little boy who is so cute and full of personality.  He was recently badly burned in a horrible accident, but is healing wonderfully.  It was so fun to celebrate his 1st birthday with him because it meant so much considering how much he had just been through.  His parents are rock stars!  

*  Hanging out with Cody's childhood friends, Natalie and Chaz Tucker and our pilot friend, Brandon.

*  Going to my nieces' musical Oliver.  Addie and Talia did such a good job and you could tell that they had worked hard on it...I swear the youngins' these days have way more talent than I ever did.

*  Going to lunch and shopping with my sisters-in-law (Amy and Christy).  It was so nice to get to know them better without all of the kiddos around.

*  Seeing Cody's entire Boseman side of the family.  Unfortunately, while we were in Utah, Cody's grandma Rowine Boseman passed away unexpectedly.  Although it was sad to see her go, it was nice to get together as a family and celebrate her life.  I'm glad we happened to already be in Utah.

*  Getting my entire family together to celebrate the March birthdays. 

*  Hearing Cody get excited about doing dentistry...honestly, people, this is a first!  Apparently the real world and the Creighton School of Dentistry are two very different things, thank goodness.

*  Watching Cody do some pretty sweet cheerleading moves with our niece, Maddie.  She is so flipping good...literally.  She's definitely a cheerleader/gymnast in the making. 

*  Working out and going for a jog in a safe neighborhood.  Seriously...where we live here in Omaha, you definitely DON'T want to go running outside. 

Oh my goodness, I hope I'm not forgetting anything!  A lot happened in those two weeks and I'm so grateful that we all got to be a part of it.  We were extremely lucky that Jett did so well.

Actually on that note, I do have an interesting story to share.  To preface this story, we usually have night nurses (in Omaha) that take care of Jett so that Cody and I can get a good night's sleep.  Jett needs to be monitored 24/7 due to his feeding and medication schedule.  Well, while we were in Utah, we got to feel what it's like to be real parents, which was kind of unsettling to me.  I was rather scared to leave Jett's feeds going throughout the night because you never know what could happen.

Anyway, one night, we were all sound asleep, myself included.  All of a sudden I hear a man's voice whisper, "TENNILLE!"  I literally jumped.  I turned over and Cody was sound asleep.  Who in the world had woken me up?  I lay there for a second just stunned and then I listened some more...I could hear Jett struggling in his crib.  At that moment, I jumped out of bed, flipped on the bedroom light, and ran to Jett.  He had refluxed and was choking.  I immediately used his suction machine and was able to calm him down.

If I had not been woken up by that guardian angel, I don't even want to think what could have happened.  We were truly blessed that night.  From that night on, I didn't put Jett on his feeds while he was sleeping unless I was awake and could monitor him, which made for some late nights. 

Now that we're back in Omaha, we're kind of on the final countdown!  We only have one more year here and then we will be moving back to Salt Lake City where Cody will practice dentistry.   You will all be required to call him Dr. Boseman and me, Mrs. Dr. Boseman so just keep that in mind.  (I sure hope you can sense my blogging sarcasm!)

 Right now, I'm having a lot of fun with my new job, which I had somewhat mentioned earlier.  I am now the Director of Marketing for a company called The Shanahan Plan ( www.TheShanahanPlan.com ).  Terry Shanahan, the creator/owner of the company hired me on to help expand his online business.  I am really busy creating different social media content, but this job is right up my alley.  It includes nutrition, fitness, and social media marketing...my three favorite things.  

Cody and I are also currently participating in the Crossfit Games OPEN and are raising money for the Jett Powered Foundation.  The workouts are super hard and they make us want to cry (for real), but it is so worth it knowing that we are doing it for those who don't have the capabilities to move like us.  If you would like to learn more about our fundraiser, go HERE.

Oh that little Jett is so kissable!  That guy in the background is kind of my favorite too.

Lake of the Ozarks

While we're in dental school (and yes, I say "we"), we are lucky enough to get an entire month off from school each summer.  It is a much-needed break for Cody and his non-stop studying.  The best part, however, is that Jett gets to have his daddy around 24/7.  I counted down the days to summer break. The day that the break finally started, I'm pretty sure I jumped up and down a few times out of pure excitement! 

Last summer, it didn't feel like much of a break because we were so busy making improvements to our house and getting a feel for our new city and hospitals (unfortunately).  This summer, we kept busy…but had SO much fun staying busy.  If you know me and Cody, we don't like to sit around.  Therefore, we accomplished quite a bit, which included hosting our first Jett Powered event, which you can read about HERE.  Cody also completed some amazing projects, like building a screen printer (to print our Jett Powered shirts) and a light board for Jett's bedroom (below)…

Isn't it pretty?!  Jett now has his very own color-changing light board to look at every night.  The board can flip down right above his crib so that he can see all of the fun shapes and colors.  

I wish I could say that I built some awesome things for our house.  Now that I look back, I'm like, "Okay, what did I do that was cool or awesome?"  Nada.  I'm not creative in that way at all.  However, once Cody is finished with his projects, I love to take credit for them and pretend that it was my idea all along.  Does that count?

But for real, I guess I've stayed busy with Jett (of course!), teaching fitness classes, and starting a new business called Paleo Plate.  You can read all about that HERE if you're interested!

One of my Paleo Plate creations…these are Post-Workout Protein Bites that, in my opinion,  taste like cookie dough.  They are made from all organic ingredients and are super healthy for you…yes, even dark chocolate can be healthy!

Back to our summer break... unlike a lot of our friends, we stayed in Omaha again.  We have been incredibly lucky to have a HEALTHY Jett for a change so the first week of break, we planned a fun boating trip to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri!  We traveled down with three other couples and rented out a vacation home that sat right on the lake.  There was even a boat slip to park our boat.  

Now, if you know anything about Lake of the Ozarks (which I didn't), you know that it is often called the "Lake Powell of the Midwest" and is known for its beauty and party atmosphere.  Our house was in a calmer (non-party area, thank goodness) and was so beautiful and peaceful.  We spent our days boating, eating, boating, and eating some more.  It was awesome.  Jett LOVED going out on the boat.  He would smile every time the wind brushed through his hair.  He did okay during the nights and mama (that would be me) did okay without a nurse around.  

The Ozark crew!!  We made a deal with everyone that if a baby was conceived during our time at the Ozarks that it's name HAD to be "Ozark".  Tessa and Taylor…we can't wait for Baby Ozark due February 2014.  (Okay, okay…she was already pregnant before the trip, but surprised us with the news while we were there so that has to count)

Me…trying to look cool

Me…a few seconds later, looking super cool

Cody…actually looking cool.  However, I'm not sure how well this trick ended.

Kusaba's first time "swimming" in a few years.  We're pretty sure he almost had a heart attack.  Cody received a million scratches on his chest from saving Kusaba. On a good note, if I'm ever having a bad day, I just have to look at Kusaba's face in this picture and my worries melt away. Is that look not the funniest thing you've ever seen?!

Jett cuddling up to daddy 

The only beach we went to…it was super hot and super sandy.  We stayed about 20 minutes.  Just enough time to coat our body, clothes, and shoes with sand.

Daddy swimming with Jett while Kusaba looked on from a safe distance…with his lifejacket on this time.

Well…Kusaba didn't keep a safe enough distance from the water.  He got thrown in a second time.  We are so mean…well, Cody is mean.  I was trying to save Kusaba the whole time, but had to take a couple pictures first. 

All that boating is hard work for Kyle.  Kayli decided to make a photo opp out of it.

Kusaba enjoyed being in the boat a lot more than being in the water.  Cody, however did not enjoy Kusaba's talons (his toenails) on the interior of the boat…I was constantly being yelled at to put the towel underneath Kusaba. 

Even though the water was a little colder (okay, A LOT colder) than bath water, Jett loved swimming around.  He would close his eyes, put a smile on his face,  and let us glide him through the water.  

Lovin' life!

This was the house we stayed in…what, you don't believe me?  Yeah, you're right, but wouldn't it be cool if we did?  I fell in love with this lakeside property.  Does anyone have a few million dollars they could loan me?

Extreme Sports

Well it turns out that Jett loves extreme sports.

Who would have thought?

The other day, we made our way to Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna, NE with a bunch of my friends.  It was a BEAUTIFUL fall day and we had so much fun.  Vala's Pumpkin Patch is the Disneyland of all pumpkin patches.  It was amazing...everything from humongous jumping pillows to go-carts to the yummiest kettle corn on the planet.

Just ridin' the John Deere train

Chilling on the jumping pillows with Jett's besties, Dax and Berrett.

 I'm guessing the reason Jett is mad in the picture above is because we had to get off the go-carts (pics below).  It turns out he is more of an extreme sport baby...I was trying to play with him in a "sand" box made of corn kernels and he hated it.  He would rather feel the wind run through his hair.  His long, luscious locks of hair.

Yeah right.  Maybe he'll have hair by the time he is three, but even that is a long shot!

Regardless, we had a blast.  I was happy to find out that I can still do some "normal" things with Jett.  I don't necessarily have to hold back with him.  Yes, I do have to be careful that goats don't eat his feeding tube and that he is safe, but overall, we were able to do all of the activities at the pumpkin patch.  Victory!!

A true "ACTION" shot...I could NOT get the go-cart going for the life of me.

And for the finale, we have made PEACE with the goats! Jett and I fed them our kettle corn and they were loved it, but who doesn't love popcorn covered in sugar?

No feeding tubes were harmed this time.

Surprises from September

I know that I have mentioned how amazing and lucky we are to be where we are, but that feeling keeps getting stronger and stronger with each day of living here in good ol' Omaha.  Although it seems a little crazy that Cody decided to completely change careers and Omaha is definitely not our first choice of "nice" places to live, I am sure that it was meant to be.

It is really hard to be down on your situation or be sad about ANYTHING when you have such great people living near you.  I seriously love our neighbors and have so much fun hanging out with them.  They are very aware of our situation and have gone up and beyond to help us out whenever we need it.  I feel unworthy sometimes to receive such great support!

Case in point…

Meet the Winterholler's.  They are an amazing couple with the cutest twins you've ever seen.  Anyway, they showed up one night and surprised us with a painting for Jett.  Are you kidding me?!  Besides this being the coolest painting ever, it also matches Jett's room perfectly.  We now proudly display it right above his crib.  

Yup…cutest twins ever.

THANKS you guys!

Another awesome surprise this month came from Cody's cousins.  They are moving cross country from California to Virginia.  Even though it was a short visit, we were SO happy to see them.  Jett was being exceptionally good and let Dayna and Erin hold him for a few minutes.  They got a rare glimpse of the comfortable, peaceful Jett!

The next surprise really isn't a surprise at all…but Jett is cute.

This is "happy" Jett before his 48-hour EEG that occurred at the beginning of the month.  Jett's neurologists wanted to know once and for all if he is experiencing seizures.  It was all done in the comfort of our own home, which was nice.  The not-so-nice thing is that Jett had to have 23 leads stuck to his head with super glue and then had to stay in front of a video camera for 48 hours.  Ugh. 

 It was horrible!!  

I did not play by the rules.  I snuck him outside twice and actually ended the study at 26 hours.  I felt that Jett had exhibited all of his "seizure-like" behavior…and he was soooo uncomfortable.  Poor baby. It took me about two hours to take the leads off of his head, but once I finished, we rushed outside to enjoy the wind in our face and the sunshine overhead.  Jett even gave me some smiles.

We finally received the results this week.  Jett is NOT having seizures!!  However, his brain activity is very abnormal.  Even while Jett sleeps, his brain is incorrectly misfiring all over the place. 

 The constant activity in his brain is to blame for Jett's dystonia and chorea (stiffness/rigidity and involuntary movements).  The doctors didn't have to change any medication, however, which was nice for a change.  

The last surprise of the month came courtesy of a friendly goat at the Omaha Zoo.  First off, if you know me well, you are probably very aware that I am obsessed with goats.  I really would like to have one as a pet someday.  Now, I'm not so sure!  

The goat tried to EAT Jett's feeding tube.

Umm…not okay, goat.

Jett gave the goat a swift kick in retaliation.  Besides that, the zoo was so much fun!  The weather was beautiful and Cody got to come with.  It is rare to have time with Cody due to his crazy dental school schedule. 

And the best surprise of all??  Uploading the pictures from my camera and realizing that Jett is SMILING in this pic!!  This is a very rare occurrence people.  I hope you are as excited as I am.