August Sucked

On August 7, 2009 I was in the hospital due to complications with my pregnancy. After being admitted on August 3 with some odd symptoms we endured a horrible roller coaster ride of possible causes for the issues. Finally on August 6th I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia a horrible disease they can't do anything about. We were hopeful I could hang on until our baby had more of a chance to develop, he was only 22 weeks, too young for the doctors to help him survive. On Friday the 7th my health had deteriorated significantly, fearing for my life the doctors made the decision to induce labor. After 13 hours I delivered a "sleeping" boy we named Elijah. He had passed away during labor. I am recovering well and am physically back to normal. Each day is a struggle to move on. We miss him and all the hopes for his future with us. Thank you for your continued prayers as our family endures this storm.

I'm a Slacker

I cannot believe I have not posted since March. So here's the update on our lives.

We are expecting child number 3. I am pregnant! I am due on December 11h which unfortunately falls right in the middle of finals for my master's program, we're praying that the baby comes early or late, as to avoid labor in the middle of class. We found out recently that we are having a boy. We are thrilled! I don't think any of us could handle another girl at this point. He is healthy and measuring bigger than average, which should be interesting considering my size.

The kids are going back to public school next week. They are in a place that they are both ready to get back to regular school instead o being at home with mom/teacher. Kurt and I are also ready for that transition. Micah will be playing club soccer this year. So our weekends will be filled traveling from game to game. Hannah has discovered a love and talent for swimming. She will be taking more intense year round lessons to prepare for swim team when she turns seven.

Kurt is working very hard, all the time. We are very thankful for his job and that it allows me to be at home. This fall I will return to Lipscomb for my third semester in my professional counseling program. I am very anxious to get back to studying and seeing my friends.

We had a great summer with a trip to San Diego, church camp, swim team, vacation bible school, and soccer. Here are some pics from this summer.

We're doing something right

The kids have begun soccer practice for the spring season. Thank goodness! Last practice they were on a break when Micah comes over to me and sits on the grass next to my chair. I asked him what was wrong, he was reluctant at first but then told me his teammates were saying bad words. He said he thought they were bad because he had never heard them before. He didn't want to tell us what they were. I told him that he could still hang out with them and not say the words they were saying. I told him how proud I was that he came over to talk to us about it. Micah happily went back and played with his friends!

Having spent a lot of time at the soccer fields, Hannah knows the boundaries well. That same day she was playing with the other little brothers and sisters while the big kids practiced. They were racing across the field, when the other kids got too close to the road Hannah just made a U-turn and headed back to Kurt and I. We told her what a good choice she made by just coming back to us, she was very pleased with herself! :)

A year away

So I had not been in California for almost a year when the kids and I returned at the end of February for a week visit with my sister's family.

Here are some of the highlights:
1. Appearing to be undisturbed when we hit turbulence (I get nervous when flying)
2. Renting a car by myself for the first time.
3. Not needing a jacket in February.
4. Saying that planes don't crash when asked by Hannah.
5. Watching my sister's kids play so well with my kids.
6. Eating Rubio's
7. Seeing my sister and my mom.
8. Learning about how sticker's are made...very interesting

Here comes the biggy....
9. Not trying to convince Kurt that we should move back to CA, and actually being happy about coming home to TN!!!!

Bella and Molly Sitting in the Tree....

Valentine's Day

Hannah and Kurt went to a father-daughter dance at church. It was so cute, Hannah was actually nervous about dancing in front of everyone. Of course she got over it and was dancing around the whole time. Micah and I stayed home and watched a movie. He made a delicious pizza. We ended our night with a ice cream sundaes. It was super fun!

Healthy Eating

So we bring the kids to America and show them all the fast food possibilities. Then we take them away and revert to more healthy eating habits. For example we ditched the Jif and are now using natural Peanut Butter, which I must say is surprisingly good. The kids are saying great things about all the new organic food we're buying now...so far so good. However the other night I made chicken with cauliflower. They were fighting to get it down...although they didn't say it you could definitely tell it was not their favorite dinner we've had. Our diets have been changed for about a week and it seems like I already have more energy through out the day. My next goal is to stop drinking Coke Zero, I'm down to one glass a day.

An exciting day

Yesterday was very fun! It snowed and the kids made their first snowman. We also got a new puppy, yes now that makes four dogs. She is an Italian Greyhound, she will be under 10 pounds when she's full grown. The kids are having a lot of fun with her.

Hannah did it!!

She rode her bike by herself today, without falling!!! A little background on this event, Hannah has had her training wheels off since mid summer of 08. She had a couple crazy falls (inches away from her face hitting the curb) and decided she was too scared to ride in the road. She will usually only ride on the grass which she does like a champ, only in a straight line of course. So today, the first day we've been outside in weeks she agreed to try riding on the street. After riding up and down the street several times with my hand on her bottom to give the illusion of me helping, I let go completely and she did it!!! She made it half way down our street with the Maggie dog following her and Micah cheering her on. She didn't want to take any chances though, so she was all done riding for the day after that. Great job bug!!!!

Monday Morning Madness

Okay so Kurt leaves and the kids start acting up...it never fails. Monday mornings are doubly hard, Kurt leaves which sucks and when the kids wake up they are terrors. The good news: it used to last all day, now we're down to the first three hours of the day. Hopefully we're all done with screaming children who are sitting in their room while their cereal gets soggy and gross.

Here are the pictures of Hannah's hair.

I'm gonna have to learn...

Hannah arrived home a year and a half ago with very little hair. Lately it has been more and more difficult for me to deal with. She has beautiful hair, however it is incredibly curly. The process of making her hair presentable each morning is very time consuming. After lunch it is a complete mess again. So we took her to get it straightened...not chemically just with a flat iron. It looks great and is MUCH easier to deal with, however it required Hannah sitting still for over an hour. If you know Hannah that is quite the accomplishment for her. It is sad to think that she'll probably get it wet in the bath in the morning and it will be right back to being curly after all that hard work. I really need to get a good flat iron and products so I can do it at home. I am a bit worried about burning her head in the process...we'll have to see.

Trip to Atlanta

This weekend we took a family trip to Atlanta. After spending much of holidays with family and with Kurt traveling so much with work we really needed some quality time together. I have been dying to go to the Georgia Aquarium to see the whale sharks. Kurt has also been wanting to visit the Coke-Cola Factory there too. So we decided to make an educational trip out of it. I had spent the past week giving a crash course on ocean life. Having worked in the educational department at Sea World I had a lot of great books and activities to do with the kids. The Coke Factory was great because the kids got to see how things are made and distributed around the world. It was an exceptional tour. Although I think the highlight for them was meeting the Coke-Cola Polar Bear and watching the 4 D movie. Kurt took the coolest picture of the kids and a manta ray. Kurt and I could have sat in front of the large aquarium all day watching the four whale sharks and other fish, I don't think it would have been okay with the kids however.

New Year's Update

Since I have not posted anything for almost a year, I thought it might be a good idea to send out a little blurb on our last year along with a recent picture of our family.

We have spent the past year adjusting to our new life as a family. It has been especially fun to get to know our kids more. Micah is very funny, while at the same time incredibly compassionate towards others. He is a very patient big brother who has a tendency to be a third parent to Hannah. Hannah is a high energy five year old who is very bright and loves to be the center of attention. They are very entertaining to say the least. They are both speaking English fluently, reading, and asking lots of questions!

Micah excels at everything he puts his mind to. He loves soccer and is anxiously awaiting the beginning of the spring season. This fall we watched his confidence on the field grow as he gained a better understanding of the game. He was also chosen by his art teacher at school to have his artwork displayed in a gallery in downtown Nashville. We bought his piece, of course, and he received his very first paycheck. Micah is the kid who is friends with everyone and goes to great lengths to ensure everyone is included.

Hannah is a fun loving little girl, who is growing up very quickly. She is very determined in all she does. She loves schoolwork! When she sits down to read a new story she will reread a word over and over until she is confident she has it right, only then will she move on. She also played soccer this past fall and proved that she can kick the ball just as hard as her big brother. She is obsessed with all things pink, princesses, and babies. Recently she has said she wants to be just like Mommy when she grows up. She even says her favorite car is a, “very cute blue Pacifica just like Mommy’s.” I’ll definitely be reminding her about that when she’s sixteen.

I have been home schooling Hannah for the past several months and will be adding Micah to my class list this coming week. I love it! I am really enjoying watching them learn and spending time with them. I'm sure there will be regular updates as to how homeschooling is going. Let's just say it is a new adventure everyday.