My happy boy getting ready for Santa...

We prepared for Santa tonight instead of tomorrow night as we won't be home until later tomorrow night and wanted to make sure Owen got to put out and help leave Santa some yummy cookies and milk.

We told him if he gave me a nice big smile then Santa might just bring him that "purple truck" he has been asking for.

Update from 20 week appt.

Here is a picture of the foot of our sweet little baby.
Appt. went okay today- He looks great and is still measuring perfectly.
The hemorrhages are still there and though there is not much of a change they are a little smaller which I am happy about!
I am going on almost a month of no bleeding at all and really think that is due to my activity level being very minimal.
We appreciate your continued prayers and encouragement for our little fighter to continue to grow and for my body to continue to heal the hemorrhages.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Update from Peri appt today.....almost 17 weeks.

I must say I feel a little discouraged at the moment. I met with a Peri today and he has two main concerns about my hemorrhages.
1) The blood is from the placenta which can affect the growth of the baby since it is not receiving the blood flow, nutrients, etc.
2) The hemorrhages are in an area that they can prematurely break my water which obviously if this happens prior to 24 weeks the baby would not stand a chance of survival.

He wants me off work until 1-31-10 when I see him again. I will continue to follow up with my OB in between this time probably weekly.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and please continue to pray for my body to heal these hemorrhages and for the baby to continue to grow perfectly.

We trust God and knows that he knows every detail of what is happening and what will continue to happen. We thank Him for blessing us to the almost 17 week mark and for the growth of this baby to be currently measuring bigger then anticipated despite the hemorrhages.

I am free from doctors all next week since I had two appointments this week and two appointments last week.

Needless to say- this Christmas season will be spent resting and relaxing with my little family.

Hope all of you are doing well!

It's a BOY!

It was confirmed today that our little trouble maker is a boy. Kris made it to this appointment with me today and it was such a special time for the both of us. The SCH's are both still there and around the same size. I meet with a Peri on Thursday so will hopefully be able to post a 3-D picture of our little one at that time as I did not receive any pictures today.

Four Months

Four months has come and gone. A little part of me feels like it has gone by fast so far and the other part of me wishes that I were already 24 weeks which is viability due to my complications so far. We are still cautiously optimistic. Even though in the end of all of this God is the only one who knows how everything will turn out I still wanted to blog and post pictures, etc as a memory of this pregnancy. I was also refusing photo ops while pregnant with Owen and I really feel like I missed out on a lot of my pregnancy with him. So this baby has been active for a couple of weeks now (even Kris has been able to feel the baby move at times)

We continue to pray that all will turn out well with this little one and that we will be blessed with two healthy, happy, beautiful children. Enjoy the pictures (it takes a lot to post them on here but again want to have this as a memory.)

Our tree is up....

thanks to Kris. He and Owen really helped out a lot today to make the tree extra pretty this year. Hopefully it can stay like this until Christmas day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you did too.

We started our day at my parents house for breakfast and then ended our day at Kris' parents house for dinner and dessert. Good food and good times and many blessing to be thankful for.

I had another appointment on Wednesday of this week due to more bleeding Monday night and Tuesday night. The appointment was more of the same information. Baby looks good. Hemorrhage is still there and not getting any smaller. They did also find what appeared to another SCH (subchorionic hemorrhage) on top of the current hemorrhage which measures the same size, 6cmx2cm.

I will be seeing a Perinatologist (high risk OB doctor) next Thursday to find out what is going on and hopefully to be able to gain a better understanding of what this all means.

Please continue to pray for me and the little wiggle worm. The doc said he didn't want to be held to anything but it looks like it may be a boy. Hoping to find out next week for sure.

Will keep you all updated! Have a nice weekend.

15 weeks 2 day appointment after more bleeding...

I had another appointment today. It was supposed to be on Wednesday but since I started bleeding again on Friday night they wanted to see me today. Also I have been very crampy and uncomfortable so they wanted to make sure my cervix was okay. Baby continues to look good. PTL!!!The doc today picked up another hemorrhage/area of concern that no one else has mentioned to me. She said she saw it two weeks ago so was not surprised to see it. It is a about the same size as the original hemorrhage, 6 cm x 2cm. The hemorrhage is right on top of my cervix so I may continue to bleed. Odds increased to 80/20 this week but she says to still rest a lot and don't over do anything. It's a frustrating road but I am trusting God will do his will with this baby. I go in again next week for another update!Thanks for your continued prayers!

14 weeks 4 days....

Another promising appointment today. Baby looks great. I saw arms, legs and the mouth/jaw moving. Baby continues to have a good heartbeat and is measuring good. The SCH is slightly larger then last week....grrrrr! It is now over 6.5cm x 3.0 cm. You can see the hemorrhage on this picture on the upper right side of the baby's head (it is the black blob)

The hope is as the baby gets larger it will push the hemorrhage out of the way and make it smaller and smaller. The doc says that I can still work but wants me working at home with my feet up as much as possible. Praying this thing will shrink with time!

He will do a vaginal exam next week to check my cervix as I have been more crampy the past few days. The good thing is I haven't had any new bleeding which he is really surprised about since the size of the hemorrhage is on the fairly moderate to big size.

Please keep praying for this little baby to be a fighter and for my body to continue to heal the hemorrhage. Thanks so much for all of your prayers already!

Owen continues to help out his mommy!

Since I haven't been able to do much or had the energy to do much, Kris cleaned the house for me tonight. Owen couldn't resist helping too once he saw all the fun that his daddy was having while vacuuming. Thanks boys for making mommy happy! I love you both so much!

Owen can read my mind!

So as most of you know I have been kind of down about how messy the house is and I have really been trying to get Owen to pick up his toys. That is my one request- he makes the mess then he can help to pick it up.

So today- while sitting on the couch I heard some banging noises upstairs, didn't think much of it as we just told him to go upstairs and get ready to take a shower.

Well Kris and I finally ventured upstairs a few minutes later and to our surprise he was cleaning the toilet and was so HAPPY about it.

He is such a good little boy and really knows how to make his mommy's day!

13 weeks 3 days

Overall my appointment went well today. This is the baby, the head is to the left, body on the right and feet on the upper right. The subchorionic hemorrhage is all the black stuff on the bottom. It measured slightly larger then last week, but my doctor said that she has seen bigger and that woman progressed to have a healthy baby.

I am still told to just rest and take it as easy as possible and drink lots of fluids.

Next appointment is next week, will keep you all posted. Please continue to pray that the baby is a fighter and that my body heals the hemorrhage soon.

Cautiously Expecting #2

We found out we are expecting #2 on Labor Day.......we are very excited! This is the most recent ultrasound picture taken at 12 weeks 3 days.

Baby at 10 weeks with the Subchorionic Hemorrhage to the right of the babies head.

Baby at 8 weeks.

So needless to say we are cautiously expecting #2. Two weeks ago, while I was 10 weeks 6 days pregnant I was sitting at my desk and started getting pretty bad cramps/gas pains. Then about 30 minutes later I just started gushing blood. I thought it was over! I went to my doctors a few hours later expecting the worse and was told that the baby was still doing good and had a good strong heart beat and was still measuring perfectly. Kris and I were in shock, how could I bleed so much and still have the baby be okay? I was diagnosed with a SCH (Subchorionic Hemorrhage) which is where the placenta detaches slightly from the uterus. The hematoma/blood clot/hemorrhage is very near to my cervix which is creating an exit for the blood. I was told that I would have a 50/50 chance of miscarrying at this time.

Fast forward 6 days. Go back to the doctor for a checkup and to see how/if the bleeding affected the baby. To my surprise I was informed that the baby still looks great with a nice heart beat and perfect growth.

The following day, 11 weeks 6 days pregnant, I had the same feeling as I did the week before and sure enough I started gushing again.

Went to the doctor this past Monday and he says baby still looks good, but the hemorrhage is still there and I will likely continue to bleed as I have approx 1/4 cup of blood left that needs to come out. The doctor said that every week I was able to hold the baby in the better my chances of having a normal pregnancy.

I am 12 weeks 6 days pregnant today and am anticipating to start bleeding again today at some point since Friday's seem to be the days I bleed.

I have not shared this pregnancy nor been open about it until recently as now we are just asking for prayers for this little baby to be a fighter and for my body to reabsorb this blood and heal the hemorrhage.

So at this point we are cautiously optimistic. I am on pelvic rest indefinitely and am on modified bed rest until further notice. I am being monitored by my doctors weekly and will continue to post updates on here. Next appointment is on Tuesday. I will know more then.

Happy Halloween 2009

Owen had a great 3rd Halloween. He went as James from Thomas and Friends. He is very into trains lately and we actually had a hand me down UPS costume for him, however couldn't deny his sweet request when we took him to Halloween USA. Here Owen is with Kris, he was scared of him at first, but then realized it was just his big teddy bear of a dad.

Owen wanted to go trick or treating with his Mee and Pee this year, so they so nicely walked him around for a little while and when he came back he was pooped.

All in all it was a very fun and special day.

The Boyz!

The cousins all hanging out together. They were on their best behavior when they were holding hands. When they let go of each other, well let's just say it was a little crazy.

Cuddle Time

I know it has been a while but things have been busy. Owen continues to do excellent at his potty training and hardly ever has any accidents.

We are certainly looking forward to the upcoming holidays and spending lots of time together as a family.

Things are good and busy and we are looking forward to Kris' long winter break to spend lots of good family time together.

Enjoy the picture above of Owen and I cuddling together on one of Kris' long nights.

Owen's favorite cereal......

LUCKY CHARMS. Grammy got Owen hooked on Lucky Charms and now Owen can't get enough of them. He calls them "ucky charms"- which is probably a more appropriate name for them.

Happy Camper at Camp Barakel

We had an incredible time at Camp Barakel over Labor Day weekend this year. Every year we create more memories and are able to to spend a lot of time praying, strengthening family relationships, and enjoy the wonderful countless hours spent with good friends.

This picture is pretty much a very common face that we see around our house on a daily basis. I call it his "stinker" look. He is saying "cheese" but is unhappy to do so. He has such a little attitude for his age. Kris and his dad had a great bonding opportunity while enjoying the zip line together. It looked like a lot of fun and I am so glad that they were able to share this experience together.

Thanks to Mee (Grammee)- she spent the whole weekend watching Owen during chapel since he wouldn't go to his class. I was very thankful that she did so that I could go to hear the pastor speak on many ways that I can raise a good Christian family. Oh and Owen wasn't forced to stay with Mee, he didn't want to even be around me. He loves his Mee so much!

Here is Owen wishing that he was 10 years older so that he could go on the zip line with the boys. Three generations of zip liner's- Grandpee if you still have it in you in another 10 years, this would make for a great picture!

Our family picture. One of the few we took all weekend. We really need to get better about taking more family pictures, but with so much to do and not nearly enough time to do it all in, this will do for now. After all one is better then none!

Owen walking down the long steep hill to see Grandpee and Daddy coming down the Zip line.

I decided a couple of months ago that I was going to change my life to the extent of not making any more excuses of why I couldn't be more healthy and exercise. So for a little over two months I have been running 5-6 times per week, up to 3 miles per day- the distance isn't crazy but it makes me feel good and that's what I love. I also have been watching what I have been eating and consuming better foods with less calories, etc.

Though the above is very important to feel physically good about yourself, this weekend made me realize that I need to also feel spiritually good about myself. I will take what I learned this weekend and try the best that I can to make sure that I provide the best, loving, Christian atmosphere and environment to raise my child in. Owen will be learning from me and looking to me and Kris for advice and learn by watching us. I am so thankful that I heard this speaker when I did. I really needed it!!

This was my ninth year at Camp Barakel and Owen's third. Kris' family has been going for decades. I am so thankful that I have been included in this tradition. I am already eager for next Labor Day. Camp Barakel, Camp Barakel........where surely God has Blessed!

Splash park fun

My sister took Owen and my nephew Nathan for an overnight one day last week. While she had them she decided to visit the local splash park. They are really good buddies as you can tell from the picture.

Potty updates and more...

Oh boy....where do I start? We have been super busy lately having lots of fun. Kris has been home for the summer so we have been having lots of family fun time. Owen has still been doing fabulous at going pee pee and poo poo on the potty like a big boy. He seldom has any accidents and when he does he gets very upset.

I took Owen to Old Navy and he was a trooper in the store. He spent most of his time playing with his new girlfriend pictured below (she is super cute, even if she is a mannequin!) He was loving her up and kept giving her hugs and holding her hand. It was really precious! He also fell in love with the Old Navy dog and kept petting him.

Thankfully he is finding things to do to keep him busy while I am on my shopping sprees for fall!!!

Potty Updates!

I am so pleased to announce, as gross as it is, that Owen went poo poo in the potty all by himself today!!!!! He is truly a remarkable young boy and we continue to be so proud of him. After the last week and a half of us constantly asking him to put his poo poo in the potty and him constantly telling us "no" and having accidents in his pants and around the house, our constant reminders seem to FINALLY have worked. We are hopeful that he now understands the concept and is no longer afraid to put his poo poo in the potty! Thanks for all of you who have helped to encourage him over the last week. You have all been HUGE in helping us potty train our sweet little boy! As much as I wanted to post a picture on here for you all to see, I decided it would not be necessary. :o)

Potty Training!

Well we have officially completed the first week of potty training. We could not be more PROUD of Owen. He has truly done a fabulous job and hardly has any accidents. We have not been able to master the "poop" potty training yet, but he is getting really great at the "pee in the potty" training. He has only had two pee accidents since last Thursday which we think is phenomenal. Hopefully it will just get easier and easier for him to adapt to his new way of going potty. But all in all we LOVE him to pieces and are so PROUD of who he is!

Owen's new buzz cut.

For the first time in over 2 years we decided it was time to give Owen a buzz cut. His cousins both get buzz cuts often, but we never gave one to Owen for fear of him not looking like a baby any longer. Our fear certainly came true as we watched Owen go from a baby to a big boy in a matter of minutes. He was extremely unhappy throughout the whole cut and we had to give him m&m's in the end to FINALLY be happy. Every time we look at him now we are amazed at how huge he looks.

Happy 4th of July

We had a great Independence Day this year. We went to a parade in downtown Brighton early in the morning and then in the afternoon we were invited to a BBQ at Tami's parents house. They just got their new pool a few months ago and it is gorgeous. We were also right on the lake so we had the best of both worlds.


Here is Kris going down the water slide. Owen must have gone down the waterslide at least 50 times. He was in love with the slide and couldn't get enought of it.

It was a great way to spend the day and completed our vacation.

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park

We spent the last week camping in Muskegon on Lake Michigan. It was an awesome vacation.


What's a vacation without some adult fun? Below are Jim and I having a plasma car race. Owen got the plasma cars for his birthday and it turns out that they are also a lot of fun for adults.

Owen hanging out on a sand dune. This was really the only nice day that we had which was a bummer since we were there for a whole week. But we found other things to do in our spare time........ Like hang out at Lakeshore RV Superstore for several hours while Jim and Tami got a new camper. We looked at all the fancy campers on the lot and hung out with Nick and Nathan for a while so Jim and Tami could focus on all the paperwork they had to sign without any kid interruptions.

We had a wonderful time and can't wait to go on another vacation again soon. We learned earlier this season that if we take riding toys Owen will have more fun, so we loaded the truck and camper full of toys for Owen to play with. We all had so much fun. Here is Owen on his four wheeler. Owen and Kris hanging out by the campfire.

Below are Owen and Nick buried in the sand.

Owen playing on his plasma car that he got for his birthday. It is a very cool toy.

Our camper and Kris' truck. We love our fifth wheel so much, it really has all the comforts and amenities of being at home.

All in all it was a GREAT time. It was sad to come home. All of us wanted to stay for a few more days. But with everything else in life, all great things must come to an end. More fun to be had and more memories to make in the future.

Big Boy!

Owen turned 2 last Friday and he received so many gifts. His new favorite toy/book/show is anything to do with trains. He LOVES Thomas and was so excited to open all of his Thomas trains and books and DVDs. Well, he also received Thomas underwear. Kris called me while I was at work today and informed me that Owen took the package of underwear to Kris and said "peaze" for Kris to put them on him. Who is going to deny this sweet little boy of his very Big Boy request? Not his daddy who melts at everything Owen says and does!!! So with the help of daddy I received this picture of Owen running around the house. I was promised updates as Kris is going to try to get Owen to use the potty today. Wish us luck!

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day and I am so thankful to be married to my wonderful and supportive husband. Kris is such a role model to Owen and Owen just loves his daddy to pieces. We decided to go out to dinner tonight and had a really nice time. Of course what would father's day be without amazing fathers? Below are Owen and Papa and Owen and Grampy.

Thanks for being great dad's and also for being great grandpa's to Owen. Kris, Owen and myself are extremely blessed to have such loving and giving fathers in our lives.

Owen is one lucky little boy and Kris and I are equally lucky to have such wonderful family!

Love to you all and thanks for everything!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Owen!

Our sweet little boy turned two today and was given this bike as his main present. He was thrilled! Too bad it is raining out so we can't take him out on the driveway to play on it!

Owen being daddy's little helper!

We had quite the adventure on our way home from camping on Sunday afternoon. We were about a mile from home when Kris' truck decided to quit working. There was no time to even get to the side of the road, so here we are in the middle of M-36 stalled. It would be semi-okay if it was just the truck but it was the truck and the camper. So all in all, probably about 50 feet in length of truck and camper taking up a huge part of the road. I had to walk Owen home to get a scan tool for Kris, but in the meantime I called my parents who thankfully were home and were able to meet Kris on the road and tow him home. It was a little crazy and Kris was not all that thrilled since Diesel engines are not supposed to have ANY problems. So over the last 4 days Kris has been working on his truck in the driveway when he has had time. Today Owen decided to help him work on his truck (actually he just likes going on a ride!)

Decorative chair

I bought this cute little decorative chair the other day and Owen seems to think that it is just for him. He is way to big for this little chair, thus you can't really see it in the picture at all.......he doesn't realize that it is NOT for him and thinks that it is pretty cool!

Photo Shoot 2009

Part of my mother's day gift was a photo session that a friend of a friend was offering. The following are just a few of my favorite pictures from our 3o minute mini session.