not much to report . . .

With all this time on my hands, you may have thought that I would have been blogging MORE rather than not at all. However, (fortunately) there's really not a whole lot to report. I am still on "modified bed rest" and home from work. I don't have to be flat on my back all the time, but I do have to take it easy, and limit my daily activities. I have been overwhelmed with how wonderful my friends and co-workers have been. I have received countless cards, a couple of flower arrangements, rides home from school and activities for my kids, and a few weeks worth of meals that are already prepared for us! It's amazing to have all this wonderful support.

My next appointment is a BIG one. At 19 weeks I will have a Level II ultrasound where they should be able to tell if I I do, in fact, have Placenta Accreta. After my ultrasound, I will have a consult with a Perinatologist (high risk pregnancy specialist) from Abbott Northwestern. Of course, I am hoping for the doctor to tell me that I must have had Placenta Previa because as far as they can tell, it has fixed itself and everything will be good from now on out! (Best case scenario) But I also need to brace myself for the news that I have Placenta Accreta and everything else that comes along with that diagnosis (i.e. hospitalized bed rest as early as 24 weeks, early delivery, hysterectomy, etc).... but I must say .... I have a really good feeling about everything! I really think everything is going to go well! :)

I will continue to stay quiet until after my next appointment in a couple of weeks . . . trust me, you don't want to hear any of my "I'm so bored/I'm so worried/I'm so nervous/I'm so stir-crazy" daily rants. Believe me when I say, that I have been saving you from bad reading over these last couple of weeks :)

okay . . .

So . . . lots to share . . . let's start here.

Um, yeah. I'm pregnant! With my 4th child! And it was quite a surprise! But we are very excited! However, it's been quite a roller coaster ride since we have found out.

Initial reaction = shock!

After we finally believed the news = excitement!

At 6 weeks, I experienced some spotting, so I went into the clinic for an ultrasound and found out that the baby looked good, but they were seeing a "irregular and elongated gestational sack" (higher risk of miscarriage) = worry!

At 7 weeks, I had a follow-up ultrasound and found out the "condition" had fixed itself, and baby was doing great! = relieved and excited!

At 12 weeks, I had a massive hemorrhage at school, and was sure I was having a miscarriage. Went to the E.R. and after a few tests, was elated to see our baby on the ultrasound screen happy and healthy!! Jumping all over the place with a heart rate of 155! = terrified, then amazed and thankful!

However, due to the loss of blood in the first trimester, I was still at a high risk of miscarriage = worry!

A follow-up appointment with my OB doc, landed me on bed rest for a week due to my continued bleeding. My doc thinks I may have Placenta Previa or Placenta Accreta. Previa is quite common and can fix itself (YAY), but Accreta is more serious and could bring hospitalized long term bed rest, early delivery, and a possible hysterectomy at the time of birth (BOO!)

At this time, I am no longer on restricted bed rest, however I still have to be very careful and rest a bunch. My doc won't let me return to work because I am still spotting, so for right now, I am just waiting . . . trying to be patient and understand that I have no control over this situation, and just to take things one day at a time . . . easier said than done. :)

Throughout this little situation, I have been amazed by how wonderful my family and friends are! I am truly blessed in many different ways! :)

I will try to keep you updated as things pan out, as for now, all we can do is pray.

not a baby anymore . . .

My baby is no longer a baby. She is growing and learning and being more of a "big girl" with each new day. I am happy to report that she is technically potty trained! She has been wearing her new big girl underwear every day for the past few weeks, and has been accident free for quite some time. The only time she ever wears a diaper is when she is sleeping. We are so proud of her!

This past weekend, she also hit a major milestone by getting her very first hair cut. I have been putting it off because I knew once we got it cut, those adorable curls at the end of her hair would be gone forever :(. But the mullet was getting out of control, so we decided to even things up a bit.

She did so well. No tears. No whining. She held very still and watched in the mirror as the stylist took off the last part of "baby" she had left.

I'm trying not to be too dramatic about this. She still cuddles in the morning. She still lets me sing to her (...not well) at night while I rock her. And she still has her passie (the next thing on our list!). But it is true what they say . . . it all slips away so quickly!

thir-TEEN

Yes, that's right. I am the mother of a teenager. How can that be? I still feel like a teenager myself! Oh well....who would ever not want to feel young, right?? .... Oh my gosh, I just realized that I'm That Mom....the mom who thinks she's still young and cool....oh no. Quick!! Subject change!

To celebrate Jocie's milestone birthday, we decided to have parties that highlighted the new addition to our backyard. With the extremely warm winter we've been having, it was a struggle to get it ready for the big events. But we (meaning Carl) got it ready in the nick of time.

Jocie and 5 of her BFF's dined on Pizza, bread sticks and pop before lacing up their skates and hitting the rink. It was so much fun to watch them have fun!









Then they all relaxed and warmed up fire-side while enjoying some hot chocolate. Then it was back inside for gossiping, stairs surfing (....not a good idea) and a post-midnight snack of cheese balls, Doritos and ice cream cake (see, I am a cool mom).

The next weekend, we had the extended fam over to party on the rink again! We were pretty excited that G&G Adolphson and most of her aunts and uncles were able to join us (even when they were coming from 4 hours away!).





Carl's ready to bring his A game....with Claire's hockey stick.

(poor Dwaine didn't see this one coming.....)




Side Story: Dwaine and Judy brought some extra skates along from one of their friends....I don't think these skates had been used in a few years (or decades). Keith had to duct tape them for extra ankle support!







The next weekend we hit the road to watch Carl's cousin Kamille play some Iowa Hawkeye Basketball against Purdue. We watch her on TV all the time, but that doesn't hold a candle to seeing it in person. Such a blast!!









Ella and Karla (Carl's aunt - Kamille's mom)


who's got the best 3 point shot % in the Big Ten? Oh yeah, Kamille!!


the coach firing up the starters right before tip-off. Kamille is #2








After the game, we even got a tour of the locker room and practice facitilites!

I know I haven't been as good about keeping up with the blog. I usually write and edit when the girls are asleep, but lately I have been crashing right after they do. Hopefully I will get some energy back soon!

Merry Christmas!...2 1/2 weeks later.

I promised I would deliver and I am....it's been a tish busy around our house, and it will continue to be (f.o.r.e.v.e.r.) for the next few weeks, with Jocie's birthday celebrations (the next two weekends) and a trip to Iowa the following...."and these are the days of our lives" :) But who's complaining?! As someone once told me, "You're only as busy as you want to be"...

We had December 23rd off from school this year, so we decided it would be a great day to do some Christmas baking, or in our case, non-baking. We had already had our fill of Christmas cookies for the year, because I ordered a cookie tray as a fundraiser, so we decided it would be a good idea to make some Oreo Truffles instead. Oreo Truffles should be illegal. You take a package of Oreo cookies and crush them. Then you mix in a block of softened cream cheese and you shape them into bite-sized balls, then you dip them in white chocolate....sinful!

We let Claire sculpt her own "balls" this year . . . she did a great job :)

On Christmas Eve, we followed our usual traditions of going to church, then coming home and having a candle-lit dinner followed by opening presents.

Here is a look at our girls opening gifts on both Christmas Eve and also opening Santa gifts on Christmas morning.

After we opened Santa gifts, it was on to packing up the van with the enormous amount of stuff we would need for the next 6 days. If I showed you the amount of stuff we packed you wouldn't believe me . . . let's just say that we had to use our pull-behind trailer to make it all work . . . no, I'm not kidding.

Our first trip was 5 hours due N.W. to Argyle, MN to spend Christmas with the Adolphsons.

We spent our 2.5 days in Argyle singing, eating, opening gifts, eating, playing games, opening more gifts, eating, watching movies, eating, opening more gifts, riding horse, and of course eating! So as you can tell, we were very spoiled :)


Keith and Ella on guitar . . .

. . . Annika and Claire on the bells.




they loved their new dress-up outfits :)

. . . and the boys loved their new John Deere gear.

Then it was off to Maple Lake to spend a few days with my Mom and Denny. We spent our time skating on the lake, opening gifts, lounging in out PJs way to long everyday, going for walks, eating, shoveling snow off the lake, skating, shoveling more snow and skating some more!! We had a ton of fun!









....that looks perfectly safe....

Daysha and Jocie showing off their slidding skills

Ella was a pro by the time we left the lake!

Claire wasn't so sure right away . . . . but then warmed up to it . . . a little.

lounging....ahhhhh, so nice.

Carl made a really cool skating track for our night skating the last night we were at the lake!

Nanny impressed us all! She can skate with the best of them....she just can't stop that well :)

Carl should have been a figure skater . . . always the show man.

We had a great Christmas vacation and like all fun things, it went way, way too fast! To be honest, I am still somewhat recovering, and feel as though I as still not caught up with my motherly chores...but I guess those will always be there, so oh well! :)

The next time I post, I will be the mother of a TEENAGER. Holy S-word!