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!

Winter is Here!!

Once again we are reminded that we are in MN! We have thoroughly enjoyed our 70+ degree weather, but we did know it would have to end at some point! However, we didn't expect to go from 60 degrees one day, to 30 the next! However, we are thankful for the family time it has created and the laughs we have shared!

A couple of weeks ago, John went with my mom to see my Uncle Don and ride in the "big combine" and John loved every moment of it! We hear about Don and the big combine on a daily basis! John also tells stories about the corn that was picked and how the "corn dump in big truck!" We continue to be astonished by the words John is stringing together and at some points, even complete sentences!

On Nov. 2, John went with us to vote. He was so quiet while we were there and when we left, loved that he got a sticker for voting, just like Mom and Dad! When we got home, he enjoyed wearing all three!

He was doing is "I voted...I voted" dance! It was priceless!

John loves playing with blocks! At my mom's, he decided to build his "super highway" for his cars and trucks to drive on! He even had a tunnel for them to go through!

A couple of nights ago, John found this hat and became quite the ham! He was more than willing to pose for the camera!

Mr. Mischievous!

So cute snuggling in one morning...

John continues to love putting on our boots and shoes. Here he found Grandpa's...and they seem to be a perfect fit!

The first snow is here! Before we could go outside today, we looked around to find all the pieces of John's outdoor wardrobe. We couldn't find John's hat from last year right away, but did find the back-up from last year, so we tried it on and John loved it! He ran around the house with the tag flapping in his face and the mittens tied on the back of the hat! What a goofball!

John wasn't quite ready to take the hat off, but found Mom's iphone and wanted to play a game! It's scary when your 2 year-old has figured out how to slide his finger to unlock the phone and then find the game he wants and start it on his own, just from observation! Maybe we should put an itouch on his Christmas list..... maybe not!

So cute!

John could not wait to go outside today! From 8:00am to 10:00 when we started getting ready, John must have asked "Mommy, outside? Weeee down hill, please, Mommy" no less than 200 times! He went and found his snowpants and started to try and put them on himself. That's when we agreed to brave the wind for a while and hope the temperatures had risen enough for a short time outside! We just couldn't say no anymore!

All ready to go outside... I remember some other little one named Ralphie looking like this..... "A Christmas Story" anyone??? I was afraid John was going to topple over, but it didn't phase him!

This year, John couldn't wait to jump in his sled and head down the hill. Such a difference a year makes!! (Last year, John wouldn't even sit in it, much less go down a hill in it!) The snow was a little too high and sticky for great sledding conditions, but with Dad's great muscle strength, John was given a few good rides!

"Weeee down, so fun!" "Sled down hill more!"

Fun with Daddy....

and Mommy too!

Time to build a snowman!! When John was sick of sledding, we headed to the front yard to build a snowman. However, the wind gusts were much heavier in the front of the house, so we weren't able to stay out as long. I started to roll the base of the body and John quickly picked up how to grab large amounts of snow and pile them on! He loved every moment of it!

Pack, pack, pack the snow!

John sitting with his snowman! Yes, it is skinny and looking malnourished, but with limited time, it's the best we could do. Plus, it's perfect sized for our 2 year-old peanut!

"I did it!" says John with arms outstretched.

We have certainly enjoyed the first moments of winter and can't wait for more to arrive. John was so disappointed when he had to come inside (and cried for about 10 minutes) but we assured him that the snow would still be there to play in tomorrow and there would be plenty of days left, for months to come, to play in the snow! We are so excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons, as they will have a new-found awe this year for our family as John will be even more interested and intrigued with decorations, food, family and fun. We can't wait!

Happy Halloween!

This year, Halloween had a whole new meaning in our house! John was SO excited to be able to go trick-or-treating and couldn't wait to put on his monkey costume! He was thrilled when we said we were going to be able to see Uncle Steve (Aunt Katie is in China for work right now, so we missed seeing her), as well as Grandma and Grandpa and Nana Joan and Papa Bob! We practiced saying "trick-or-treat" a couple of times and told John that when he got to the door, he should say it and they would give him a treat. He couldn't wait! As soon as we arrived at Uncle Steve's house, John wanted out of the car as fast as possible to be on his way! He couldn't quite reach the doorbell, so we had to help him with that part, but as soon as the door was opened, he was ready!

Waiting patiently...

Trick-or-Treat!!

John held out his bucket for the treats...and then examined the outside and loved the pumpkin face on it! (Yes, it is a bucket from MANY years ago when the Happy Meals at McDonald's would come in those awesome buckets with lids around Halloween. What happened to the good 'ol days??)

So cute with Uncle Steve!

After visiting with Uncle Steve for awhile, we were off to Grandma and Grandpa's house! Because we were worried about timing and having the night get too late, Nana Joan and Papa Bob were wonderful and offered to drive down to meet us at my mom and dad's. When we pulled into the driveway, John immediately recognized the car and shouted excitedly from the backseat, "Grandma! Grandpa! Nana Joan! Papa Bob! Out! Trick-or-Treat!" He started to go to the back door, like we do every day, but I told him he got to go to the front door instead! He was so excited and ran to the door and up the steps. When Grandma came to the door, he opened the front door and yelled trick-or-treat, and ran into the house!!

And he's off!!! We didn't even have time for a picture!

When John ran into the house, he found that Nana Joan and Papa Bob had gotten him a rocking horse they had seen and thought he would love. He was so excited! Ever since we went to Canterbury Park this summer, John talks about the horses and always looks for the Jockeys too! He said that now he was the Jockey!!

My little monkey!

John refused to smile and was making funny faces, so this is as good as it gets with Daddy!

By the time we got to taking pictures with Nana Joan and Papa Bob and Grandma and Grandpa, John was so hot he had to take his costume off! He's always a monkey, even if he doesn't have his costume on!

We hope you had a wonderful Halloween! November is here and Dance Team is back in full swing! Our life is going to become a bit more chaotic too, as Phil received news last week that he was accepted into the administration program at Hamline! He begins in February and we are hopeful that some of the credits he has previously taken will transfer. It looks like it should take about a year to complete if the credits they think will transfer, actually do! Never a dull moment in the Singewald house! We are looking forward to celebrating the holidays in a few weeks with family too. Before we know it, the snow will be flying! However, until that happens, enjoy every moment of the nice weather!