Zoo Visits Spring 2015

We feel so fortunate to be members at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.  It's wonderful to be able to visit whenever the mood strikes, even if it's just for an hour or two.  Kate is at the age where she's starting to enjoy looking at the animals, and Tess is all about learning animal and zoo facts.  We've had a couple of wonderful visits there this spring, and we've loved taking a picnic lunch to enjoy.  Over Spring Break, Tess attended "Cubby Camp" for half a day and totally loved it.  What a fantastic family resource right in our backyard!    

Big House Projects

We've got LOTS to do to get ready for baby #2!  Tess is moving next door into a new "big girl room" so that we can keep her room as a nursery for the little one.  This means moving our hundreds of books out of the guest room closet and into....where?  We had intended to make a built-in bookshelf and office center in our loft area, and since our garage is short on extra storage space, we decided to take the plunge.  We were able to make it happen because we have a GREAT cabinetry guy who charges very reasonable prices!  Below are pics of the bookshelves in progress, as well as the transformation of the guest room into Tess's big girl room, and the return of Tess's room to an official baby nursery. 

We owe HUGE thank yous to our dear friends Troy and Carrie for motivating us to do the painting ourselves by making it a fun get-together, and to my mom (Meg) for coming up to help us get both girls' rooms situated (there was TONS of baby stuff to unpack and put away!).  We're almost there!

Tess Is Two!

Our sweet Tess is now TWO! 

I have to confess I somewhat dreaded this milestone for a while, for a couple reasons:

1. The baby days are truly gone.

2. The "terrible twos" are now a reality.

But I am so relieved to say that whatever worry lurked in my heart has been totally overshadowed by the FUN we have been having the past couple months.  As it turns out, despite my nostalgia for the days of a cuddly, immobile infant, both Tess and parenting keep getting better and better.  I probably couldn't list all the reasons why, since I keep discovering them, but here are some of the recurring highlights:

1. She truly IS becoming more cute, more beautiful, more smart and sweet, and more of HERSELF every single day.

2. She talks in sentences and we can have conversations...sometimes educational, sometimes hilarious...but the interaction with this precious little thing who is MY child is often mind-blowing and a constant source of entertainment.

3. The temper tantrums (which are few and far between, actually) are challenging, but getting through them successfully (with a positive outcome) is so rewarding.  Watching her learn and practice obedience makes me feel like we are doing something right. 

4. We truly feel like a FAMILY.  We can sit down to dinner together and enjoy each others' company and talk about things with our little one.

5. My heart continues to expand with more love for her than I ever thought possible.  It's terrifying and miraculous at the same time.  When I think about how much I love her, I immediately burst into tears.   

6. Watching her learn and discover the world, make connections, and try new things, is fascinating to me.  It fills my heart with so many hopes (and, I'll admit, fears) for all that she can be.  There is just so much I want for her in her life.

Over the past few months I've witnessed so many milestones, and have been trying to keep a mental list to share here, but I keep losing track.  But here is a list of what we are up to these days!

--Weekly "dance/tumbling" classes at New Harvest Church.

--Spends Wednesdays with Grandma ("Mah-Maw") doing all sorts of fun activities.

--Spends 2 days a week at "school" (daycare).

--Monthly play dates with her cousins.

--Helping Mommy in the kitchen whenever she has a chance.

--Spending as much time with Daddy as absolutely possible.  The term "Daddy's girl" is a total understatement.

--Expressing huge interest in the potty process, pull-up diapers, and flushing...but still no real "action."

--Getting tickled at any opportunity ("More, please?").

--Loves getting her toenails painted.

--Counting to ten all by herself.

--Identifying colors with surprising accuracy.

--Drawing and painting as much as possible.

--Harassing our cat, Burnie.

--Saying "please" and "thank you" on her own, unprompted.

--Using her imagination -- apparently Cookie Monster makes a lot of invisible appearances around our place!

--Makes LOTS of messes with her toys but is actually really good about cleaning them up (with direction).

--Mommy & Daddy are thoroughly enjoying this cute phase of pronoun confusion ("Hold Mommy." "Hold Daddy."  "Hold you.").

--Loves to eat: ice, rice, fruit snacks, breakfast bars, and French fries (we have a little work to do on her diet, but the good news is, that's not all she eats).

--Loves to drink: water, apple juice.  We have a harder time with the milk.

--Weighs 30lbs (85th percentile) and measures 34 in (55th percentile). 

--Is now talking constantly about being a "big sister."

I'm consciously trying to live and be "in the present" with our precious girl, instead of longing for the baby days or worrying about her growing up too fast.  I don't want to miss a thing!  We are so grateful for our beautiful, sweet, healthy, and smart baby girl. She is the ultimate treasure.

Tahoe Vacation 2013

We spent the first week in August up in Tahoe with friends.  It was a great vacation!  Highlights include:

 

-A FULL WEEK with our dearest friends, the Sullivans, and their adorable kiddos.

-A long weekend with our local close friends, the McDonalds, and their four precious daughters.

-Having 2 of our favorite families together with us!

-7 beautiful kids under one roof.

-Beautiful walks around the Northstar neighborhoods and golf course.

-2 full days of relaxing on the beach.

-Riding a ski lift up to gorgeous views of the Tahoe mountains.

-A fun day trip to Heavenly Village at South Shore.

-A full day of outlet shopping.

-Finishing a couple books.

-Wave runners, paddle boats, and PARASAILING on the gorgeous blue water of Lake Tahoe.

-A much-needed adults night out (triple date FUN!).

-A quick trip to the casino with some unexpected wins at the slot machines.

 

We are so blessed to have the family we do (with a beautiful home to vacation in) and the friends we do.  Grateful for such an easy and relaxing getaway! 

Yosemite & Friends

This blog post is about some really GOOD STUFF that only happens every couple of years....getting together with 2 of my best friends AND having our beautiful families with us, too!



The Besties! Me, Kim, Stacy.

Last weekend my dear friend Stacy and her family came to visit us for a quick overnight stay, since they had to be in Fresno for a family wedding.  On Saturday night, our friend Kim came over and it was just like old times!  Well, minus youthful college exuberance, three husbands, five children, and a handful of mortgages.  Still, it was wonderful to be together. 

 

On Sunday, the Haydens and the Coyles ventured up to Yosemite National Park for the day, along with Stacy's parents -- our dear family friends, Rod and Carolyn.  What an exhausting day adventure!  It was the first Yosemite trip for Tess, Jason, Ethan, and Dominic.  I learned a couple things.... 1) don't take a toddler to Yosemite; 2) if you must, don't do it on a 97-degree day; 3) if you must do 1 and 2, take a swimsuit so she can cool off; 4) take plenty of changes of clothing for the water and dirt she will get into; 5) take a first aid kit for the inevitable tumbles off rocks and downhill pathways; 6) don't assume that if she's tired, she'll nap -- not when there is so much nature to explore!  

 

All in all, we made fantastic family and friend memories.  We're so grateful to have the grandeur of Yosemite so close, and to have the treasure of lifelong friends who are like family.  

 

Here are some pictures from our trip, and a silly video I took of Tess to show off her talking skills at 22+ months.

Family photo!

Our Mommy hearts melted, watching the
two babies play with each other and take
care of each other.  =)

Bittersweet Thanksgiving

While we normally venture down to Southern California to spend Thanksgiving with our Suich family, this year we did something a little different.  Rather than heading straight to Fullerton, we stopped in Thousand Oaks to spend the holiday with our Watson family, at the home of my Uncle Randy and Aunt Mary Jane.  It was a bittersweet celebration, but it was also just what we all needed.  My cousin (in-law) Vicky prepared the Thanksgiving menu and the majority of the delicious food...only in Southern California can you have Thanksgiving dinner outside, in the evening, and be too warm in long sleeves!

Our beautiful table on the patio

Digging in!

Aunt Mary Jane... our reason for
celebrating together this year, and the
missing piece from our day.

  

Enjoying time around the fire pit
after dinner and dessert.



Mother's Day Celebrations

Last weekend (Mother's Day) was one of the busiest I can remember in a long time! In addition to celebrating our wonderful mothers, we attended a wedding rehearsal and wedding (Chad gave the ceremony), I helped host a baby shower, Chad ran a speech and debate tournament at his school, we had a short visit with our adorable nieces, and we hosted Mother's Day dinner and dessert in our home.  Whew!

Despite all the busyness, my sweetie did a wonderful job making sure I was recognized and appreciated on my first "official" Mother's Day. He picked out a gorgeous dress from Ann Taylor Loft, with matching necklace, for me.  He also "facilitated" getting me a beautiful bracelet I had stumbled across on Etsy, engraved with a passage from Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (the book that inspired our sweet girl's name).  The bracelet is handmade (like everything on Etsy, right?) and came all the way from England. 

  

Below is a slideshow of our Mother's Day festivities, which included a stop at Paul and Barbara's to see Elise and Everlee.  We enjoyed having my parents and aunt and uncle over for dinner, and then my grandparents came for dessert. We extended the celebration into Wednesday when we had Paul and Barbara over for a belated Mother's Day dinner ~ it was a great excuse to break out our china!



Treasures from China

This past weekend we spent a wonderful evening at Chad's parents' house with their friends from China, Bing & Zhiling. Bing & Zhiling both taught at Fresno State University for years and upon retirement, moved back home to Shanghai permanently.  But once a year they make a trip to the US to visit friends and family, and they usually stay with Paul & Barbara for the Fresno portion of their visit.  We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them over the years, and have enjoyed much delicious, authentic Chinese food and tea, and learned so much about Chinese culture. During their visit last year, I was expecting Tess -- so this year they were very excited to meet our precious little one!  They brought Tess some very special gifts from China.  Zhiling gave Tess a pair of silver baby bracelets, which are a traditional baby gift in China and they are generally worn on special occasions.  The bracelets she picked out for Tess have characters that represent intelligence and vitality.  Bing brought Tess a beautiful Jade pendant -- a carving of two fishes, which symbolize prosperity.  What fun treasures for Tess to have someday, to remind her of the many people who anticipated and celebrated her arrival, and think she's an extra-special little girl.! We appreciate Bing & Zhiling for their thoughtfulness in bringing such beautiful and thoughtful "welcome, baby" gifts all the way from China!

Tess with Bing (left) and Zhiling (right); the silver bracelet (one for each wrist!) and the jade pendant.

Baby Showers X 3!

I am so blessed!  I guess people have been waiting a looooong time to shower me with everything I could want or need in preparation for having a baby.  I had a whirlwind, record-breaking THREE baby showers and loved each one of them so very much -- so I have to share themes and pictures!

First up was a shower given by my two best friends since college days, Kimberly & Stacy.  Stace flew in from Phoenix for the weekend, and Kim opened her lovely home in Clovis for a "tea-themed" shower, complete with "A Baby is Brewing" tea bag favors.  This shower got me thinking about how special Kim and Stace are to me, because between the three of us we have thrown each other MANY showers over the years, whether bridal or baby!  Kim especially worked so hard to make it a memorable event for me.  It was such a treat to have so many beautiful and wonderful ladies there. 

The next day was a beautiful shower hosted by my dear friend and coworker, Paula, at her gorgeous home in Clovis.  Paula and I are such kindred spirits despite our age difference -- what a blessing to have an older and wiser friend who can encourage and advise me but still be so much FUN!  I love Paula because she appreciates beautiful and sentimental things like I do.  Anyway, this shower provided a venue for all of my PrideStaff coworkers to get together (some I've known more than 12 years now), as well as several out-of-town family members and friends.  The food especially was amazing and delicious!

My third shower was the following weekend, hosted by my cousins Lisa and Jennifer at my Aunt & Uncle's house in Reedley.  The theme was "feathering my nest" and it was so cute!  Lisa, Jennifer and I have been close since we were little and so it was a blessing that they would do so much to "shower" me.  The little stuffed birds you saw in the pictures were hand-sewn by Jennifer and I now have several of them to use for decor in the baby's room.  The ladies also put together a little book of prayers for the baby and prayed for both of us, which was so very touching. This shower was mostly family, including some aunts and cousins from Chad's side who came from out of town. 

I was so grateful that my best friend Lindsey (yep, from Dallas!) was on hand over the long weekend to help me put all of the shower gifts away -- more on that in another post!

Mazel Tov!

Over the holiday weekend we were so blessed to attend the very special and FUN wedding of my sweet friend Susanna and her husband, Ben.

I could say so many wonderful things about Susanna and they would mostly be centered around how funny, intelligent, and beautiful (inside and out) she is. I'm forever grateful to have met her, through Chad of all people! She was his assistant forensics coach for his last few years at Hoover. He told me about her for months, maybe even more than a year, before she and I met and "clicked" -- I even remember meeting her one time at a holiday staff party. Then one day we were stuck together at some tournament, and struck up a lengthy conversation that has turned into a deep and meaningful long-distance friendship.

Shortly after we became friends, Susanna left Fresno for greener pastures in Long Beach, CA. Right around the same time, she went on a trip to Europe with Birthright Israel to explore her Jewish roots, which was a decision that would change the direction of her life forever. To make a long story short, she quit her teaching job in L.A. and moved to Israel to work on a kfar, which is kindof like a kibbutz (but the difference escapes me at the moment).  It was at Hakfar HaYarok that she met Ben, who lives there and works as a full-time employee.  After a few months they fell in love and before we all knew it, Susanna was extending her stay in Israel to be with Ben.  An engagement followed, along with plans for Ben to finish out his contract at the kfar and move back to America with his soon-to-be wife.  (They arrive in August 2012!)

Last month on June 14th they got married in Israel and thankfully they also had the "American" wedding so that we could attend.  Chad and I had such a great time at the wedding! Wow, Jewish weddings are FUN (at least this one was)! The ceremony was full of meaningful Jewish symbolism, audience participation, and overall joy and celebration. And the reception included a rousing rendition of Hava Nagila (you'll see pics of Ben & Susanna being lifted into the air on chairs), LOTS of dancing, hysterical wedding party toasts, a fantastic Jewish band from the LA area, and a great time for Chad catching up with his old coworkers from Hoover High School.

My friendship with Susanna has given me such an appreciation and reverence for Judaism. We have had so many wonderful discussions about Jewish religious practices, the "law," the history of Israel and its political challenges, and how Jews relate to God. We have also enjoyed attending Temple Beth Israel with her when she is in town -- I especially love the music and reciting the prayers in Hebrew. My heart feels very connected with Judaism for some reason -- maybe it's because of my childhood experiences attending "temple" or because it paved the way for the "New Covenant" and is part of our rich heritage as believers -- most likely it's a little bit of both. Knowing Susanna and Ben reminds me how fulfilling it is to connect with people of different cultures, beliefs and traditions -- it proves that in exploring our differences we find out how much the same we really are.

Surprise Party

Also this past weekend, in addition to our maternity photo shoot, we conspired with my cousin Valerie and Uncle Dick to throw a suprise birthday get together for my Aunt Debbie's 60th.  We had a great time preparing a delicious meal of salad, corn, and jambalaya.  For dessert was a homemade (and home decorated) carrot cake!

We sure enjoy our family times at "American" (which is what we call their beautiful country home in Reedley).  We can often be found gathered around their big kitchen island, talking and snacking, dining on the patio, or sitting by the pool with margaritas and homemade guacamole with chips.  We have such wonderful memories with my parents, and Dick/Debbie/Valerie there!

Happy 60th, Aunt Debbie -- we love you!

Micah 6:6-8

"With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?"

It's So Fun....

...when you aren't the only one getting bigger! My dear friend Tiffany stopped by the office today (she used to work here) to say hello. Her due date is just 7 weeks after mine. Tess, meet Max!

Yesterday was my 28 week, appointment, which produced some positive results:

--I passed my glucose screening test with flying colors! I'm nowhere close to having gestational diabetes.

--My blood pressure continues to be excellent.

--I'm a little low on iron, so I'll be taking some extra-strength iron going forward, and "beefing up" my diet (ha).

--I've gained 22lbs so far. It looks like I'm on track to gain about 35 total, assuming I can keep things in check during the third trimester. Allegedly I will have "10 extra pounds" to lose after baby arrives. I can totally live with that, and it's been GREAT to eat what I want up to this point. Now, though, with my stomach lodged up near my sternum, I just can't hold as much food. I'm hoping this helps offset my 9pm bowl of cereal habit...

Yesterday I also went to Motherhood Maternity to splurge on a few more maternity clothes. Specifically, I needed more pants for work. WHAT A DIFFERENCE it makes to have a GOOD pair of maternity slacks that fit right and don't bind. Baby and I are soooo comfy today.

And, I've got 3 baby showers in the works, thanks to wonderful women in my life who asked to bless me by hosting them....invitations are going out soon!

And, we have officially started the nursery.

And, the baby registry (Babies R Us) is almost complete, too.

"Operation Baby" is ramping up!

More Mother's Day

We spent the Sunday after Mother's Day in Reedley with my parents, Dick, Debbie and Valerie (who was home for the weekend). The afternoon included a delicious meal and an amazing strawberry cake that Valerie and I made. I also received a wonderful Mother's Day charm from my Aunt Debbie.

Ceasing Striving...Food For Thought From Galatians

These verses came to mind as I was thinking about my need to "cease striving" and my desire for a quiet, simple life, full not of tasks and busyness because of my own agenda, but full of the abundant blessings God has bestowed on me. I like the translation provided by "The Message."

Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God... So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: "Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law."

The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: "The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that's the real life." Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: "The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them."

A Healthy Baby And A Song In My Heart

The Psalm below has been on my mind all week, and today it feels like my heart is singing it loudly! This morning we had our 20-week ultrasound, and got more confirmation that our baby girl is STILL a healthy and very active little baby! It was wonderful to see her move around on screen, and watch her kick and suck on her fingers. Every time I see her, she becomes more "real" to me and I get more excited about our life together and all the love I will feel when she arrives.

Psalm 111

PRAISE THE Lord! (Hallelujah!) I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart in the council of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them. His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion. He has given food and provision to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever and imprint it [on His mind].... The works of His hands are [absolute] truth and justice [faithful and right]; and all His decrees and precepts are sure (fixed, established, and trustworthy). They stand fast and are established forever and ever and are done in [absolute] truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant to be forever; holy is His name, inspiring awe, reverence, and godly fear.

(About a year ago I started reading the Amplified Bible, and it has been so wonderful to learn the scriptures in this new way. I was led to the underlined verse after my 16-week ultrasound, when we discovered we were having a girl -- He knows the desires of our hearts!)

She's An Exceptional Cat

It was quite the impromptu adventure when Burnie arrived in our lives -- not to mention the gender snafu! In 3 very busy months, she has become the center of our household and such a source of entertainment, joy, and companionship. We can't imagine having stumbled upon a cuter (look at that pink nose and those delicate paws!), more well-adjusted cat than our "Burnie Bear" (her name, Burnadette, means "little bear"). It has felt like a real gift from God, and the timing was interesting too -- we brought her home just 2 days after finding out we were expecting a baby. In many ways, Burnie has been part of our "preparation" for parenthood.

The most surprising, heart-melting, and scary part of adopting our little fur-baby has been the issue of her health. When we first got her, we couldn't imagine why anyone would literally "dump off" such a beautiful and sweet cat. Within a few weeks we discovered the possible reason -- it seems Burnie has, at the very least, a seizure disorder (feline epilepsy) and, at the worst, a more serious health issue that we haven't discovered yet.

So far she's had 3 middle-of-the night seizures, and we think she had one while we were gone during the day. Talk about traumatic: being awakened at 2 or 3 am to your cat convulsing on your bed, and there is nothing you can do but wait it out. After the second seizure, when we discovered it wasn't just a "one-time thing," we took her to the vet and began the semi-expensive process of testing her for any other type of health problem that could be causing the seizures. So far we have ruled out everything from a liver malfunction to feline leukemia and feline AIDS. Short of doing extremely expensive "cat" scans (ha!) and MRIs, we are left with the diagnosis that makes Burnie a truly exceptional cat -- she is one of the .5% of felines who suffer from epilepsy. There is no cure, only a lifetime supply of daily phenobarbital in Burnie's future.

Last week I took her back to the vet (her third trip in as many months) because I had discovered a lump on her side, next to her spine. I had suspected this was evidence (finally) of some underlying cause for her seizures, and anticipated more tests, possible surgery (yike$!), and a more devastating diagnosis. Our vet, bless his heart, seems to have little regard for Burnie's aesthetics -- he shaved a 3x2 inch patch of fur from her side so that he could examine her more closely and try to retrieve any fluid from the lump. As it turns out, he couldn't get anything out of it and says it's most likely a "hematoma" -- like a bruise under the skin, possibly from some kind of trauma (hmm, like maybe trying to jump into our armoire with the doors halfway closed?). So, we are to watch it to see if it gets any bigger, and in the meantime I'm hoping her fur grows back quickly.

Whatever Burnie's future holds, I'm so grateful she's part of our growing family. I know this sounds extremely mushy, but, it's pretty amazing what loving on a cat can do to calm you down and help you focus on the here and now. Burnie is helping me remember what's most important in life, at a time when I need it most!

Baby On Board!

I'm way past due (hehe) on sharing our BIG NEWS with the blogging world... We are expecting a baby in August! In fact, time flies -- today is already the first day of my second trimester (13 weeks).

Here's the scoop, for those who are interested...

We found out on December 14th and got to tell my parents on Christmas Day. It was so much fun to see their reaction! We only told just a handful of other people, since we wanted to wait until we had confirmation from the doctor that it was a healthy pregnancy and baby before making the announcement to everyone we know. Below you can see the first ultrasound pic, taken at my 8-week appointment on January 12th. What an amazing experience, to see a little baby (with tiny arms and legs, too!) and hear the heartbeat for the first time!

I feel very blessed to have had a fairly easy first trimester. I haven't had much nausea, and have only battled extreme fatigue -- no other "adverse" symptoms (unless you count not being able to drink wine!). That is slowly getting better, and I fully expect to have much more energy within the next few weeks.

Now that everyone knows (and it took us a while to make all those phone calls!), it's becoming more real and fun. I'm just now starting to show a little baby bump, although my pants have been tight for several weeks. At this point there are only a few pairs I can still wear!

Lots of people are, I'm sure, wondering why we are JUST NOW having a baby after almost 12 years of marriage. The truth is... we (well, mostly I) just haven't been ready until now. I always thought I would be a mom by age 28, and when I was in my late 20's the thought of it still terrified me. Not because I was scared of pregnancy or parenthood -- I just wasn't ready to give up life as I knew it. Right around the time I turned 30, it just "clicked" and I realized that becoming a parent was something I really wanted to experience. It took another year or so to feel ready to start "trying."

Here's where I may get into "too much information" for some of you...

I went off birth control in Fall of 2009, but we still weren't "trying" (i.e., we weren't watching the calendar). In January 2010 we got more intentional about it, and conceived in April. It caught me off guard, and I remember feeling really scared -- almost like it was happening too fast and too soon. Unfortunately, I miscarried at about 6 weeks. What a shock -- it was truly the last thing I expected. And, as I discovered, it's SO common -- about 40% of first pregnancies end in miscarriage. I'm grateful for the support of many girlfriends who have been through it and provided me with encouragement when I needed it. We didn't tell many people until a few months later, because it just felt so personal. Right afterward, I was determined to get pregnant again as soon as possible -- I felt like I needed to get back what I had lost. But it took a few months for my body to recover, which turned out to be a much-needed time of personal growth healing -- physically, emotionally, and also spiritually.

Fast forward to November of 2010, one of the busiest months we'd had in a while, where all of the planning and calendar-watching got thrown out the window. "We'll make a better effort in December," we told ourselves. As it turns out, we got pregnant when we least expected it.

I could write so much here about what a faith experience this has been for me, starting with "trying to get pregnant" to "wondering if I can get pregnant again" to "Is this really happening? Because I'm afraid to believe it" to "Is there really a baby in there?" I'm asking God to prepare me emotionally and spiritually as he prepares me physically... I truly want to be transformed/conformed according to His will into the best mother I can be for this little one.

Of course I will continue to post updates as the pregnancy progresses. We feel incredibly blessed, and are encouraged by the excitement and well-wishes from our loved ones!

8-Week Ultrasound Pic

A Sweet Baby Girl For Valentine's!

We were blessed with a wonderful Valentine's Day gift this year -- a new niece! Everlee Joy Hayden was born February 14th, weighing 8lbs 4oz and measuring 19 inches. We are rejoicing with Chris, Kristi, and Elise over the addition to their family!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thanksgiving Update

We made a mad dash to "The O.C." for Thanksgiving this year, leaving Thursday morning and returning home Saturday evening, to spend time with the "Fullerton Parental Unit" (aka Ron and Meg). Our holiday meal was wonderful and it wasn't just because of Ron's prowess in the kitchen! The house at Wilson Avenue was packed full of the most interesting mishmash of people, all of us grateful to be together for turkey, even if some of us had just met. There were 17 of us around the table: Ron, Meg, Dave, Chad, Sarah, Richard, Tammy, Michael, Alex, Dan, Deanna, Jim ("JB") Alan, Roger, Marguerite, Scott, and Glen. (And under the table were the pets, Molly and Jayme....)

While I can't speak for everyone, I know the reason for my gratitude -- our hosts. At the Suich household, generosity abounds, and shelter (both literal and figurative) is provided for those who are in need. Family members are chosen from the heart, not just by blood or marriage. And family members are loved and valued, affirmed and esteemed, regardless of their beliefs, economic or educational background, faults and failures, or current life circumstances. All are welcomed and all are uniquely treasured. Chad and I are continually amazed at the demonstration of gracious, Christ-like love that takes place under that roof on a daily basis. It's the "pure and undefiled religion" shown by caring for others that's talked about in James 1:27. It felt so good to be part of such a tangible expression of "the kingdom."

My highlights:
--Being reunited with my dear and sweet "nephew" Alex after 10+ years of being out of touch. He's 17 now! But he still has such a big place in my heart. See "then and now" pics below!
--Enjoying cold mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner, knowing they got that way because about 15 other people helped themselves to great food served with love!
--Skipping our usual day-after-Thanksgiving movie to stay home and do a 500-piece puzzle with family.
--Watching TONS of football.
--Stopping in Shafter on the way home to visit the beloved Becker family and our friends Jason & Stacy Coyle, who were visiting from Phoenix.