Looking forward to a great THIRD trimester :)

Here are a couple of pictures with Ansel back at the 28 week mark, the week he was born. It's pretty exciting to be past and still feel so good! I've only gained 8-9 lbs. so far, even though I think it looks like more than that! (Whereas with Ansel from 15 weeks on I gained 12 lbs. a month due to all the water weight!) What a difference it makes to not feel so sick! I can't believe I only have around 8 weeks left. (And with nursing school going on I'm hoping it won't drag on too bad like I hear most people say it can!) Anyhow, I'm very excited about experiencing the third trimester this time and seeing the little guy move more! I realize I'm saying this before things start to get really uncomfortable, but it's still an experience I'm grateful for.
Speaking of nursing school, this was my first week. I felt a little panicked the first day wondering if this was really feasible with an extensive c-section and a new baby coming in the middle of it! I've talked with my instructors though. They all seem really nice and know the situation. They said I should be fine with the classes, but I might have to rearrange the clinicals a little, possibly to the point even that'd I'd be almost 6 weeks post surgery before I had them. (Meaning more time with my cute boys before I have to run off and do a few 12 hour shifts!) The nice thing is there is one long class I have two days a week, and it will end just 2-3 weeks after Eli is born, so then I'll only have one class a week before clinicals begin! (and first semester there are only four clinicals) So.. it seems like things are starting to fall into place. There's a girl in my class who offered to give me rides after Eli's born, until I can start driving again, so some of all the stress is subsiding! However, there is still tons of studying to do so I better get to it!

*Oh yes, and I forgot to mention that my three shots a day of heparin get me out of being practiced on once we start doing IV's on each other! I don't mind needles really. I'm just not keen of people practicing on me when I'm such an easy bleeder at the moment. I do feel bad however for the people I have to practice on! Hopefully I pick it up quick!

Oh, and just for fun, here's a 24 week comparison picture (for anyone who hasn't seen it, most of my facebook friends have).. just to show what a difference this pregnancy is!! For the record I started out at least 15lbs. lighter with Ansel than with Eli...crazy!

Merry Christmas!!

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our dear friends and family! Hope you all have wonderful and safe holidays!

Happy Fourth Birthday Ansel!

Our handsome little boy turned four yesterday! He's big into legos right now.. so I made him a huge lego cake he was pretty excited about! He's so much fun. He gets so excited over the littlest things. He's also always been precise about some things... for example, he was opening his presents and he would stop after every piece of paper he pulled off to make a neat pile of paper. Then before he opened the gift up to play with he'd go throw away all the paper first! I think I may be a little spoiled sometimes! Don't get me wrong.... he has his angry frustrated moments still.. but really he's a pretty easygoing kid (except for when he's tired and SUPER cranky :). I've never even thought about him coloring on walls or anything like that because he's so precise about things having their place and purpose and will comment on things that are "out of place". (he's always been obsessed with shutting toilet lids, doors, and stuff like that too. such a funny boy :) He's also really good at entertaining himself easily and quietly. It'll be interesting to see what the next little one is like! I might be in for a big surprise! I'm so glad he's come so far from four years ago!!! We're very blessed. Oh, and his growth is still quite consistent.. 3 more pounds this year! (we're up to 27lbs now!) He's also around 37 inches tall.

Here's a link to some more birthday pictures, along with a few other Christmas pictures. He was so funny after seeing Santa (there was a Parents as Teachers Christmas activity we went to.) As we walked away he told me, "I asked him for legos, but he didn't give me any" He just said it so matter-of-factly with such a funny little tone in his voice it made me laugh.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=355432&id=576240252&l=9ec4008ef9

Happy Fifth Anniversary (and Thanksgiving!)

This was of course a couple of weeks ago.. but our fifth anniversary fell on Thanksgiving this year! Seemed appropriate to me as our marriage is definitely one of the things I am most thankful for! It's always nice too (well.. for now since we live near family!) because not only do I know Cody will have some time off but so will family who can watch Ansel so we can have a date!
It's crazy how much can happen in five years! We've been through a lot together and have grown stronger through it all. I'm very lucky to be blessed with such a great husband who's also such a great father, and I am grateful to him for all the support he gives me. Our decision to have another baby after the crazy pregnancy with Ansel wasn't an easy one (esp. with the incredible support from doctors... haha), but talking and praying together about it reminded me of how important marriage is. (Not just by having a family, but by growing together through making those important decisions together and helping each other strengthen our faith.) Before I got married, it seemed so easy to just pray about things and make my own decisions about what I would do in life... but it's definitely been a learning experience to have to work with someone else in order to make those important life decisions! I'm so grateful though I've been blessed with the opportunity to do that, and for someone who shares my same goals, values and beliefs. It makes life much easier! I love you babe!

It's a BOY!

Well, Ansel has been calling this baby his brother from the beginning so I'm glad I didn't have to regear his thinking! (or mine truthfully.. I would have been shocked if he'd been a girl too just because I've pictured this baby being a boy the whole time!) So much to update on since I haven't been on here in ages!! I'll start with the pregnancy I guess. So far things are looking great still! I do heparin shots three times a day (blood thinners to hopefully help prevent some of the craziness that occured with Ansel's birth!) I really think they're helping. My high risk doc raised the heparin dosage again today (still just 3 shots... just more in each dose) It's nice they're keeping a good eye on all my levels and adjusting things as needed! My wedding ring still fits perfectly at this point and the water weight gain hasn't started yet.. all good signs! (And I haven't had the constant headaches like I did with Ansel's pregnancy either) So that's exciting. I'll put up a link to all the ultrasound pics at the end of the post!

As for other things in life.. October was a pretty crazy month! First we had Rachel's wedding! (Cody's youngest sister) I'll put up a link for those pictures (along with some halloween ones as well!) Sorry I never got a post about it Rachel! I've really been slacking on my blog!! Ansel was the little ring bearer at the wedding.. he was pretty cute :)

Also in October Cody broke his arm and had to have surgery on it! His workplace had a family night at the Bridge in Joplin (a place that has a variety of games, wall climbing, skateboard courses... etc.) Needless to say he should have steered away from the skateboarding. He fractured his radius on his right forearm and ended up with metal plates and screws and everything. He finally has his arm splint free again, which I think he's grateful for! It seems to be healing well post surgery, so that's good. How fun that we both are not supposed to be doing heavy lifting right now! Hah.. what timing!

The other big thing is that I got into the nursing program which I'm quite excited about. I started classes up again this past summer (Getting my Anatomy and Physiology one and two both out of the way) and with my classes that transfered from my previous degree I shouldn't have too many classes other than just nursing ones to take. However it does start in January.. so that could be quite an interesting semester to say the least. I talked to the department though and they said they'd work with me.. even with the c-section. Worst case scenario is that i'd have to quit and reapply next year (which is what I'd have to do if I decided not to go next semester anyway). They said I should be able to get through the classes fine (there are only two next semester) but i might have to end up doing the clinicals in the summer since I'm having a c-section. At least there's only 4 clinicals the first semester of the program!

So.. that's a bit of our crazy busy life these past couple of months!!!

*Feel free to view the extra pics through the links below!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=344630&id=576240252&l=38c45f5c82


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=344620&id=576240252&l=e274a08db7

Wind Rivers Wyoming!

We had our family vacation this past week and went backpacking in the mountains along with Cody's parents and our niece Jewell. We had a great week! (although morning sickness did hit a little harder while I was there! I seemed to do pretty okay though as long as we were hiking. The day we didn't hike at all I felt the worst! So apparently I just need to make myself walk all day long!)

Here's a link to the pictures from the trip!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=298997&id=576240252&l=068f3b96ba

Make new friends .. but KEEP THE OLD!!

I had a fun surprise this summer. One of my old roommates said she and her family were driving through our town! So we met up for a few minutes! This is my roommate Katie.. and her three cuties, Lily, Eve, and Abigail. (and one on the way!) The last time I saw her, her oldest was about 6 months old.. so it's been a few years! It was fun to see you again KT(and your family)!