Life Changes All Around...

As the sun shines in the window, we are fooled into thinking the weather outside is warm and inviting. However, once we step outside and feel the cool air, we can't help but hope for the warm spring weather to arrive sooner, rather than later!

When we think about the few months since we posted, we have had our highs and lows as a family. There were moments we didn't know if we would survive through the pure exhaustion that overcame us through sickness, a hospital stay at Children's Hospital with John, dance team, and just the daily chaos of life. However, there were also times of elation when we found out that we were going to become a family of four, celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families and enjoyed the quiet, simple moments of life that can only come about with the people you love. One thing has never changed through it all; we are a family unit who makes it through the good, the bad, and the ugly, no matter what God gives us!

Just before Thanksgiving, we found out that we were going to be blessed with another addition to our family! We hoped and prayed for a healthy pregnancy and that I wouldn't feel too gross throughout it, as working full time, coaching dance and already having a 2 year-old we knew would be challenge enough while pregnant. Alas..... I didn't win that gamble! However, after being incredibly sick for a couple of weeks, a very kind nurse gave me advice not to try and be a hero, but instead take a low-dose med that would help control my all-the-time sickness so I could function like a normal human being! The meds worked wonders and after a few weeks, the nauseousness went away and I'm now 24 weeks and feeling great! I know the "I'm too big to move" feeling is around the corner, so I'm trying to enjoy this stage while it lasts!

John has been thrilled about the pregnancy and has asked several times if "baby come out and play couple minutes? Back in Mommy's tummy grow big and strong?" He knows Baby has to stay in my tummy until he or she is big and strong and then we can play with Baby. We are not finding out the gender again, since we loved the surprise element with John, as well knowing that this time, baby will arrive on or before July 13th because of our scheduled C-section. There has to be some fun and surprises in life!


Our last few months in pictures for you:

John continues to love to color and draw and is actually quite good at it! We continue to be astounded at his hand/eye coordination for only being 2 1/2!

Always such a ham! I think he gets that from his daddy, right??

Farmer/Hunter John!

John helping to mix some goodies before Thanksgiving!

So proud of his "treat" and very messy face!

Out to eat to celebrate Nana Joan's birthday in December!

When is the food going to come? So patient...

Christmas Eve! This year, we celebrate with Phil's family at our house on Christmas Eve and then celebrated with my parents on Christmas Day. We had celebrated early with my entire family the week before Christmas. We had a wonderful and extended Christmas season this year!

Patiently waiting to open his gifts! (after he opened other people's gifts for them!)

Lightning McQueen playing cards!!

John loves story time with Nana Joan!

Such a ham!

Santa came to our house while we slept and John was thrilled to see what Santa left him on Christmas morning! Santa knew exactly what John wanted!

Family picture on Christmas Day!

Christmas Day with Grandma and Grandpa!

Our 2-year-old stud!

Over New Year's, we went up north to enjoy a long weekend at Bob and Joan's. We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing and spending some time outdoors building a Mickey snowman (ears and all!), riding the snowmobile, and Phil loved his time ice fishing.

I did it!!

John loves reading stories!

John was sick a few weeks ago and fell asleep on our bed, and while he rolled over, found the remote hidden in the covers, rather than Teddy. Too cute!

Loving story time with Papa Bob in the laundry basket! This can't be as comfortable for Papa Bob as it is for John!

We had our ultrasound for Baby #2 on March 3. Baby is doing great! We saw lots of movement and watched all four chambers of the heart pumping blood. The heart rate was 148 and baby weighed in at 14 oz. At our ultrasound with John, his heart rate was 146 and he was 14 oz as well, so Phil is convinced that it's another boy. However, I'm still holding out hope for a girl! The maternal fetal medicine doctor commented that the heart rate doesn't mean anything, but that it would be one or the other and they would be 100% positive after the little one is born! We're just wanting a healthy little one, and can't wait to meet him or her in 15 weeks or less!

Baby has been moving a lot lately too, and at times, we can even see my tummy bounce around, which John has loved! Baby has also had the hiccups a lot lately, which has been funny to both feel and watch! I forgot how magical and wonderful the little movements are!

Baby's profile:

Baby's face:

Baby's little toes!

Phil's health with his Ulcerative Colitis has been up and down lately. Back on Christmas Day, he had one of the worst flares that he has ever had, which started us down the path of talking to a surgeon at the U of MN. After meeting with the surgeon in the middle of February, we were told that surgery was down the road for Phil, but wasn't necessary immediately. Because the medication didn't seem to be working any more though, they thought it would be in our future sooner, rather than later. In order to make sure that all the tests were done to give us a complete picture, they redid a few tests that had been done last fall. This time, though, a few of the biopsy results came back as indefinite for dysplasia, and because he was in a flare meant surgery right away, since they were not willing to play with a diagnosis that could be precancerous. Surgery was scheduled for April 5 and we started to prepare for the long road of recovery ahead.

On Saturday, Phil received a call from his surgeon and because his appointment last week with his specialist showed that he was no longer in a flare, they were not needing to do surgery anymore. They're not sure why his Colitis all of a sudden changed course, but they are optimistic and hopeful that he is in remission and that we have a few years (or more) before we'd have to discuss surgery again. If he flares, and medication doesn't work again, then conversations may have to go back to surgery, but we're hopeful we won't have to do that.

For now, we are thankful for the gifts God has given us and can't wait for the weather to become nicer to enjoy time outside!