new year!

Wow--it's almost the end of January and here I am finally getting around to posting! There goes that new years resolution! :)

Anyway, things have been busy here on Prospect. Busy chasing a toddler! We love every second of chasing her around though; watching her explore new things and being amazed at her great little mind as she figures it all out. Here is a video of what we think is her biggest talent right now at 15 months...



And, she is walking, but still thinks crawling is faster. I like this video because it shows off of few of her skills... :)




As for other things that have been happening, I'm still getting used to the not-having-homework lifestyle while Jason is diving into his studies at Davenport. He is taking on-line courses which makes it easier to schedule our lives--but much more difficult for me to take my "turn" on the computer! :)

For now--we're staying cozy in our warm home while the cold & snow persist. We've had Leah out in her sled a couple of times, but most of the time it's just too chilly for little cheeks, fingers, & toes.

All in all, 2011 is starting out great!

summer!

ah...summertime!! It has arrived and I'm thoroughly enjoying the time home with my little girl.

We welcomed summer's arrival on Memorial Day weekend with a camping trip to Higgins Lake. It was Leah's first time camping and she loved it! She even got her first boat ride in the little fishing boat...daddy can't wait til she's old enough to actually go fishing!

Summer also came with the arrival of the first little tooth! So far nothing else has poked it's way through, but it sure does make her smile that much cuter. :)
As for big plans this summer--there aren't any. I'm working on my "student teaching" for grad school which takes place two days a week through the end of July. So, I have my list of projects to work on around the house this summer and with a few beach trips tossed in, that will pretty much be the summer!

sun day!

kind of like a snow day...only the opposite! :) Actually, my cousin wasn't able to babysit today, and since I have a few comp days to use, I'm home with my girl today. And, we're so lucky to be able to enjoy warm, 80 degree weather as a bonus to our weekday together!

Since she is working on nap number 1 for the day, I thought I'd take a moment to update the ol' blog. I am sticking to my promise to keep it lower on my priority list during this busy season of life, but I'm finding that I have no record of what's going on in our lives then!

So, a brief look at our month of March:

• super busy at work with teaching classes, a state review of the health center, work with nursing students, and couple of trainings for myself--busy month, but rewarding!
• Graduate classes continue--homework, homework, & more homework
  
• Celebrate my 33rd birthday
• Go to Crystal Mountain for an overnight stay in a beautiful cottage with friends & all of our kids. So fun!! Leah experiences swimming for the first time and loves it!
• Leah begins sleeping through the night--12 hours straight!
• Our other "child", Harley, has to be put down. He had been growing a tumor for a few months that we had chosen not to treat, but the end was rather abrupt--not something we had expected so soon. We still have moments of emptiness...in our lives and home. I just picture him in heaven--chasing all the squirrels he could ever want!

And, now we're into April! Spring break was last week--we stayed home and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I love watching my babe grow and see her experiencing all life has to offer in her little world. She is not quite sitting up on her own yet, but loves standing up while holding onto our hands. In fact, most of the time that's all she wants to be doing! She's just a little peanut, but loves to watch & observe everything around her. I know it won't be long until she's off trying to explore everything too!

I also had to make the decision to not involve myself in our church's easter musical. This was a tough one for me as I so enjoy singing in choir; but, I'm learning that other things have to be priorities right now. We often talk about the seasons in one's life--so, this season is about being a working mother and finishing my commitment to graduate school.

I miss writing too. This blog has always been that outlet for me, but finding the time to do it is tough! I know season will change soon though, and I can write a backlog of the multitude of things that I have wanted to write about. :)

In the meantime, it's time to go and enjoy this season's weather with my girl!

Christmas with Leah

so, Christmas tends to be one of my more relaxing holidays...but I think that has changed now that I have a child!  Count 'em: SIX...that's six parties/family gatherings!  Good thing Leah and her parents are pretty laid back people....however, it does feel good to be home today....finally able to relax.  Leah is already working on her second nap of the day! :)

I've mentioned before how important family and friends are to me; to now share that love with my daughter was probably one of the best presents I was able to receive this year.  So, our Christmas in pictures:

Leah falls asleep in grandpa's arms before she even gets to open her presents! :)

sleeps through the new book from grandma...

sleeps through her first baby doll...

photo op with cousin Greyson...he was very excited!

this is a classic photo of the children of my friends since high school--it was one of our most fun reunion moments ever! :)

family Christmas photo...not one of Leah's better smiles... ha ha :)

it's the most wonderful time of the year

December is one of my most favorite months of the year, and this year has proven to be no exception!  We've been busy...visiting Santa, decorating a Christmas tree, finishing two graduate classes, baking lots of goodies, shoveling out from a Michigan snowstorm, two month old doctor visit, and church Christmas program...these are start the start of our month!

Highlights:
--visiting Santa was obviously not so much a highlight for Leah as she won't even remember it, but it sure was fun for mom & dad! (ha, ha)

--finishing two graduate classes freed up a lot of my time and made decorating and preparing for Christmas a lot more fun.  A huge load off me, especially with Jason being put on second shift right now...

--two month old Leah visited her doctor to learn that she is up to 10 pounds, 15 ounces in weight and 22 1/2 inches long...both right in the 50th percentile!  The doctor commented at what a beautiful baby she is--and of course, we couldn't disagree. :)  She did also get three little shots to which she screamed about and I will admit I got a little teary eyed, but after a few sucks on the pacifier, she was okay and smiling at me again.  What a little trooper!

--Leah also had the opportunity to play her first role in her church's Christmas program.  Since she is still working on her singing voice, she was given the role of baby Jesus in which her direction was to lay sweetly in the arms of Mary and not cry! :)  She did brilliantly.

With many more activities to enjoy this season, we look forward to the celebration of Christ's birth!

thankful

One thing I enjoy about blogging is that it documents significant events in my life. I now have a place to go back and remember what I was doing one year/two years ago. For instance, two years ago, I was thankful for the fact that we had just sold Jason's house in Holland. Last year, well, I don't know, I didn't document the month of November very well... :) But, I do know I tend to have pretty busy fall seasons as I have taken graduate classes for a few years now and that always leads to a busy fall and then leads up to the busy holiday season.

No surprise, but this year was a bit different. I continue with my graduate classes, but not while working my typical job. This year it has been while learning to be a mother! I cannot describe how this bundle of joy has changed my life...physically, mentally, emotionally...it is phenomenal! Thanksgiving was just another day in my life this fall as I have found that every day is my thanksgiving now. Of course for Leah, but also for all the things that she has brought into focus in my life and relationships every single day. Things are more meaningful and precious as I start to observe and reflect on how they impact my daughter. Being thankful just seems to be the tip of the iceberg!

But, enough of the ramblings...I want to document this fall too: for the first time in several years, I did not go hunting. I kind of missed it, but was thrilled that my husband did go hunting for the first time in several years! He didn't get anything, but had a lot of fun hanging out with his uncles & cousins. Also, I continue with my two graduate classes which will be wrapping up in the next week. My final degree is coming more & more in sight as I really only have about two classes left and then my final scholarly project...I still hope to be done at the age of 33. :) We also look forward to the Christmas season this year and celebrating with our family and church family. We love them all so much and can honestly say that they are who are most thankful for this year!

Leah is thankful for her hands...she has "discovered" them most recently... :)

still pregnant...

"you're still pregnant?" that's the question I got from a student yesterday. I really did have to laugh out loud. It really mirrored my thoughts of the past few days. I've made it to the 37 week mark where my babe is now considered full term and could come anytime now. But at the doctor appointments of the past couple of weeks, there doesn't seem to be any progress in that direction. I stay positive though because my blood pressure is good, I have minimal swelling, and her heartrate is perfect. I've also noticed her somersaults have stopped and now have become pushes and jabs into my right side...a very cozy home for her right now, I'm sure!

As to other things going on at our home on Prospect...not too much. Work and grad school have begun for me in full swing which makes for some long, full days. Needless to say, other than the frequent potty trips at night, I'm sleeping pretty well!

We just continue to count down the days... :)

35 weeks

I can't believe I'm already this far! Of course, I didn't even realize I was pregnant until just less than 6 months ago. ;) The doctor's appointment today shows that I continue to be right on track: 11 pound weight gain, my blood pressure nice and low, belly measuring right on, baby heart rate 146. And, at this moment, my little girl is living with her head down; but, of course, that can always change yet as somersaults seem to be her favorite thing to do.

Work has also begun. I'm surprising several staff in the school building who didn't know I was pregnant and now arrive back to school with a larger than average belly... :) It is good to be back in a routine even though "routine" is a loosely used phrase when it comes to this public school system as every year entails a lot of shuffling around and change. But, I'm thinking it will make these last five weeks move a little faster as I get very excited to meet my girl.

We also have finished up our birthing classes. Fascinating stuff too! I thought that since I'm a nurse, I probably know more than the average pregnant mom, however, I think there were parts about it that were beneficial to both Jason & I. We both have decided that the grossest part is the delivery of the placenta, but we also decided that the best part will be meeting and holding her--which, will keep us distracted from the gross part. ha! :)

Other than that, things continue along! My two graduate classes start this week and we're looking forward to celebrating our two year wedding anniversary with a little trip up north this weekend.

time flies when you're having fun...

...at least that's what I'm telling myself as to why I've not kept up with my blog! ;) Seriously though, life is good on Prospect. Keeping busy means keeping out of trouble and the end of July and the beginning of August now have been pretty trouble free!

An account of the past weeks is below in pictures...

Our baby girl's bedroom is coming together with new trim paint, new carpet, a crib, and a changing table. I think she's got all she needs to arrive home! A few more finishing touches will be completed in the next few weeks...

Jason sorts through a storage unit that held pretty much all of his father's earthly belongings. It has been an interesting (and rather fun!) trip down memory lane for him. Of course now we're a little stuck trying to figure out where to put all these things...

Jason's mom got remarried. It was so sweet to see her and her new husband so in love! (just to clarify, Jason's mom and dad had been divorced for many years...)


And, our biggest project this summer has been an extreme makeover for the backyard. It began way back in May and has progressed slowly throughout the summer. Tearing down the old shed, building a retaining wall, and now building a new shed...we give many thanks to dad and Uncle Doug for their many hours of help and labor as this project has slowly unfolded. The end result will be great!

summer dayz

So, I should be doing some pharmacology homework (yes, I'm still taking a graduate class!), but instead I thought it would be good to update on our summer. I know someday I will get my PhD in procrastination... :)

We took our U.P. camping trip and had a fabulous time! The weather was a little unsettled the day we arrived, but the other days it warmed up fairly nicely and we all came back with some sun/color on our faces. We took a day to visit the Taquamenon Falls, a day to visit Mackinac Island, but also a day to just hang around the campground and visit the beach. It was so fun to hang with good friends, play with the boys, and also have my parents camp with us--in which we discovered that Pat makes an excellent babysitter! Not to be misunderstood though as Pat probably had just as much fun playing (if not more so) with the boys. :) Lots of great pictures of our adventures are found on my facebook account if you're interested in taking a peek.


We came home to a phone message that my routine pregnancy glucose test had been high and would require a follow up 3 hour glucose test to determine whether I have gestational diabetes. (eek!) That news made me rather grumpy for the rest of the week...to add to it, I had my pharm class and also an on-line test and other work to complete before I left for our church group's trip to work at a camp in northern Michigan. Needless to say, I still haven't felt the relaxation of summer dayz yet!

Now, jump ahead to today. My test is completed, I got to spend two days at camp with my church family, including some much needed rest time on my most favorite beach in Michigan. And, I received a phone call yesterday from the doctor's office to let me know I had passed my follow up glucose test, so no gestational diabetes!

yeah!

Now my summer feels like it is beginning. Tomorrow & Friday I spend some time at the MASN board summer retreat, but from there my calender opens up and relaxation begins!! Well, at least til the next project on the list: preparing baby's bedroom...look for pictures to come!

fresh air

I didn't want to leave the blog on a down note in the coming week...we've had some fun experiences too! :) Today was a regular pregnancy check-up appointment with my doctor where she confirmed that everything is looking beautiful! My weight gain is on track (yeah!), my belly is measuring where it should be, and our baby girl's heartrate was 156--perfect. I feel her movements frequently throughout the day--of course, she likes to be most active after supper and going to bed for the night. And, I do swear that last week one morning, I woke up to find that my belly had gotten about 2 inches bigger! I find that when my mood is on an upswing, I enjoy being pregnant. But, speaking of moods, I have found that the toughest moments of pregnancy involve the down-swings...the tears & crankiness are not so fun... :P

But, that aside, we are looking forward to a camping trip in the UP of Michigan with friends. We leave this coming Thursday and will spend five nights enjoying the activities and adventures of northern Michigan. This truly will be a breath of fresh air in the craziness of our lives in the past few weeks!

journey of life

I did not mean to be away this long from my blog...it was my goal this summer to keep everyone updated on our lives, the pregnancy, and other projects this summer.

But, as always, God had different plans for our lives.

About three weeks ago we received a midnight phone call that Jason's dad had been brought to the emergency room with difficulty breathing and had been intubated right then and there. A ventilator was keeping him alive and breathing. A week passed and no improvements; the ventilator was still at 100% oxygen and breathing for him and he had little to no communication with those who worked or visited with him. The doctors called a family meeting and shared that they really did not see him improving and felt the family should make a decision as to whether to keep him on life support or not.

Jason is an only child and in recent years has not been that close with his father. But that was only recently; Jason's childhood memories of adventures with his mountain-man, motorcycle-loving, free-spirited father are precious. They spent days and weeks together camping, hunting, and fishing, all the while teaching Jason to value and love God's creation. Knowing this about his father, Jason had to make the ultimate decision to take his father off life support and allow him to join his Heavenly Father in a place where there is no pain.

We have struggled...first of all with the fact that no 30-year-olds should have to decide something like this for anyone--much less their parent. Also, to learn how to plan a memorial, or to learn what to do with a will and an estate. It really has been a very surreal time in our lives. We have been very fortunate to have the full support of Jason's uncles and aunt in all of this and in some retrospect it probably has brought all of us closer together.

With the memorial service now behind us, we move on to the estate. Another learning process for us (God seems to have given a lot of those to us this year so far!) we actually look forward to it with some anticipation as Jason is given the opportunity to go through his father's things and do a lot of positive reminiscing. :)

God is amazing to us. Through hardship, heartache and many tears, He still provides His loving arms to carry us through. 2009 is and will continue to be a journey of learning new ways that He always provides!

busy, busy!

delayed posting: Memorial Day weekend... :)

We had a great time this year up at North Higgins Lake State Park. Our new tent performed very well and even kept us dry during the few light rain showers we experienced on Saturday of that weekend. The rest of the time was gorgeous, sunny, and 70 degree temps. Even Harley enjoyed splashing around in the water for a bit!

We spent some of our weekend in reflection as to how next year's camping trip will involve a 7-month-old baby. Good age, we believe, for a first camping experience...with the hope and prayer that we have a good sleeper by then!!

We left for home early on that Monday as both of us had plenty of homework to accomplish. I dove into the end-of-the-school-year rush and am just now able to sit and relax...somewhat... ;)

rest for the weary...

The big conference was last week…this is the annual Michigan Association of School Nurses conference that I plan/organize/run every year. Of course, I would not be able to do it without my trusty helpers—but this year seemed particularly exhausting. The whole weekend felt like one big hangover…and I’m sure being 18 weeks pregnant had nothing to do with it! ;) The conference was wonderful though and now I can count down the days til the end of the school year (17 and counting!)

I was also welcomed back home to the beginning of my next grad class: pharmacology. Just the word sounds horribly intimidating and therefore I can say I’m not really looking that forward to it. I just pray that it can be as applicable to my daily work as my other classes have been to make it more tolerable!

No other major news to report…although we definitely are welcoming spring. We’ve even talked my currently layed-off father and uncle into completing an extreme-makeover on our backyard! Perfect timing too, as today marks 8 years I've lived on Prospect. Hopefully some pictures on that project to come!

pregnancy cravings

So, can pregnancy cause cravings of the sort where you crave to be somewhere else? I’ve been debating that today…as the weather has turned to a balmy 80 degree temperature for a brief time here in Michigan. The taste of summer is too great to deny and being at work makes it much too difficult to truly enjoy the gift God has bestowed upon us Michiganders for this weekend. :)

Summer is fast approaching and I’m looking forward to a great many things. Camp nursing, garage saleing, camping in Northern Michigan, a wedding, fun with friends, cleaning house, and most likely a lot of nesting! I feel as though my home will have an extreme makeover this summer and I’m looking forward to every second of it!

In the meantime, I need to stay focused as the school nurse conference I organize is fast approaching, large reports for work need to be accomplished, and my next graduate class will be starting soon. Never a dull day on Prospect!

so it goes...

So many people have asked: "how are you feeling?" Unfortunately it's been a bad week to ask as I've been battling a cold for over a week now. On Monday I called my doctor and asked (begged, pleaded) if there was anything besides Sudafed that I could take. The nurse called back an hour later with a prescription for an antibiotic! Great--that works too! Of course our bathroom counter now looks like a small pharmacy, but it's all for the greater good right now. :)

So, exhaustion, nausea, and congestion seem to be my constant companions this week; so much so, in fact, that congestion moved over to Jason as well. Who says men can't experience pregnancy sympathy pain? ;)

So, we're looking forward to the weekend. The weather is sunny and near 70 degrees and my last grad class for the semester meets tomorrow. Yard work that was begun last week will hopefully wrap up tomorrow as well. Life is good on Prospect as we take it one day at a time on this new journey!

spring!

spring has arrived in Michigan!! I've been celebrating its arrival (during my spring break this week) spring cleaning my house. This is includes literally washing walls--which definitely needs to be done when you have a big, slobbery puppy living in your home. :)

He, too, took time to sun himself in the warm sunshine on the back deck...

all the time...

God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!

This phrase keeps going through my head the past couple of days as storms of life seem to be blowing around many friends and loved ones. Yet, in the midst of all this, Jason and I have reason to celebrate. I won’t go into great detail because mostly it’s a lot of detail… ;) but, we’ve been dealing with some financial stuff lately without any kind of roadmap to guide us. It’s been a lot of praying and leaps of faith, all the while hanging on to each other and our Heavenly Father, knowing that it would work out in the end.

Well, yesterday we were given a gift; a blessing, really. God literally allowed us to experience his amazing presence as a result of what we thought was a pretty tenuous faith! What amazes me most is how often in my life I forget the miracles that God bestows on us, most often in the times that we are least expecting them! He knows all, sees all, and continues to provide us with peace in the midst of any storm in our lives no matter how shaky our faith may become.

So, I’ll say it again: God is good all the time and all the time, GOD IS GOOD!!

March!

okay, so we made it to March...yipee! The weather has shown some warming improvements. Snow is gone, birds are singing, the air has a fresher smell to it. It's great!

Not to mention, my birthday is in March. :) Not bad to celebrate 32 years of life on earth. And celebrations as you get older I have found tend to be much more low-key. Dinner out with friends, a pedicure with girlfriends, and the setting up of my present. Yup--some assembly required...but the results are exciting!


Jason & I are excited to try out our new "home." Yes, it is huge looking, but it will definitely give our camping experiences a little added comfort. Now I am much more looking forward to the warming weather!!

February days

So, I haven't updated in awhile...life has just been moving along at a normal pace. Work, church, grad school...all the same ol' same ol'. :) Which actually has been just fine by me. No news is good news, right?

One positive thing to note: currently it's sunny and 50 degrees!! whoo hoo! I knew there was a reason I lived in Michigan... ;)