10.25.2007
Another weekend getaway
I so should NOT be taking the time to post this right now! Too much to do. But I want to post these pictures because they're, well, lighthearted. We took off for another weekend in Rockaway Beach, ending in Cannon. We've had this trip planned since June, so it's been something we've looked forward to since before Nathaniel even existed, to tell the truth! We knew it would be a special getaway; turns out it was incredibly timely! It rained a little, fogged much, but was so perfectly beachy. Ahh, glorious!
10.23.2007
To Whomever it May Concern:
A special thanks goes out to whoever it was that dropped by that gorgeous bouquet of flowers and the bread! It was such a pleasant surprise to find them waiting for us on the doorstep! Both Nate and I really appreciate your thoughtfulness! Thank you!
10.16.2007
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Did you know that October was deemed Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month by President Reagan in 1988? I had no idea. I first heard that last night at the baby memorial we attended at Portland Adventist. October 15th at 7pm is the time to remember lost babies all across the country.
Nate and I were a little nervous (me more so than him) at entering a room full of strangers with whom we would shortly be sharing our loss. It wasn't a therapy session, but rather just a reminder of our baby. A harpist played several pieces of music, an incredible soloist performed a song, each baby's name was called out and a leaf placed on a tree in their memory, and a doctor who experienced his own loss prayed. The service was perfectly timed, not too lengthy, not too short. We spent some time afterward connecting with couples who had lost little ones for various reason.
I'd never really thought about all the different reasons a baby could die. It was a bit shocking to hear some of the different stories, especially from couples who had no answers. It made me grateful that we know why Nathaniel died.
The only picture I have from last night was one I took with my phone as we left our neighborhood for the hospital. The weather the last few days has been incredible! I'm loving it!
We left the memorial last night with several things in hand: a baby gift from the hospital, the leaf with Nathaniel's name on it, a white rose with a pendant in the shape of tiny feet, and fudge (Laurie, it was probably some of the smoothest fudge I've ever had! Amazing!).
I had a couple more pictures I wanted to attach to this post, but blogger is being stubborn! I'll post them as soon as I can.
Thanks for visiting!
Nate and I were a little nervous (me more so than him) at entering a room full of strangers with whom we would shortly be sharing our loss. It wasn't a therapy session, but rather just a reminder of our baby. A harpist played several pieces of music, an incredible soloist performed a song, each baby's name was called out and a leaf placed on a tree in their memory, and a doctor who experienced his own loss prayed. The service was perfectly timed, not too lengthy, not too short. We spent some time afterward connecting with couples who had lost little ones for various reason.
I'd never really thought about all the different reasons a baby could die. It was a bit shocking to hear some of the different stories, especially from couples who had no answers. It made me grateful that we know why Nathaniel died.
The only picture I have from last night was one I took with my phone as we left our neighborhood for the hospital. The weather the last few days has been incredible! I'm loving it!
We left the memorial last night with several things in hand: a baby gift from the hospital, the leaf with Nathaniel's name on it, a white rose with a pendant in the shape of tiny feet, and fudge (Laurie, it was probably some of the smoothest fudge I've ever had! Amazing!).
I had a couple more pictures I wanted to attach to this post, but blogger is being stubborn! I'll post them as soon as I can.
Thanks for visiting!
10.14.2007
The Colors of Fall
Nate and I visited Nathaniel's grave on Friday night, as that day was the two week mark of his birth. I thought about going out there all day as I worked and whenever I had Nate on the phone I reminded him about our plans. I'm sure it was eating at me in a weird way, but I didn't immediately feel sorrowful or upset. I had to work on my BSF study for Saturday morning so I spent the afternoon by the fire with coffee, working away.
I got frustrated with the study, though...I spent an hour reading the notes on the wrong one and then had to start all over again reading the right study. Argh. That frustration with the notes led into being frustrated with the study itself-I kept getting mad and confused at the questions. And I was distracted! Knowing all these medical bills are going to start descending on us soon, combined with the death of my Volvo in another 20,000 miles and the subsequent need to buy a different car, I was not completely focused. So it was 4 hours or so before I finished what takes me on any other day 1.5 hours. As time went on I had to work faster so that I could be done by the time Nate arrived home from work. As I was rushing through the study, I kept thinking about my strong desire to take flowers to Nathaniel's grave, but how that costs money. (I'd thrown out all of the dead bouquets from our house earlier in the day, so we couldn't reuse any of those flowers, and who would want to anyway!) We have a change jar which is holding the start of our savings for our early summer trip to Alaska in 2008, so I pulled some quarters from that to buy flowers at New Seasons.
For Nathaniel's funeral I had carried a bouquet from New Seasons. When the assistant manager of the flower department found us in there panicked about which flowers to coordinate for the bouquet, she immediately took over and gave us about $75 in flowers for our $25 budget. She knew that we were headed to the funeral of our son and so she said it was her gift to us. When we arrived back at the floral department on Friday night, she was in there again. Nate and I each picked out a rose and asked her if we could wrap them up before paying for them since they were dripping wet. She asked if we needed water and I told her no, they're headed to where they need to be right now. She took the roses, wrapped them up beautifully, handed them back to us, and told us again that they were her gift to us.
When we got back into the car I began sobbing. I kept looking at the roses and seeing a special blessing from God. I felt His message of provision and control. He has us wrapped up in His arms and He's going to make things come together in ways we can't imagine. I look at the blessings I've already experienced through Nathaniel Micheal, and can only wonder at the blessings on other people that I don't see. God's at work in this, I know it, and I know that He's not leaving us out to dry. Those roses represented a promise to me of hope. One was deep red and the other was bright, fallish orange. Past and future. It's all going to come together!
I got frustrated with the study, though...I spent an hour reading the notes on the wrong one and then had to start all over again reading the right study. Argh. That frustration with the notes led into being frustrated with the study itself-I kept getting mad and confused at the questions. And I was distracted! Knowing all these medical bills are going to start descending on us soon, combined with the death of my Volvo in another 20,000 miles and the subsequent need to buy a different car, I was not completely focused. So it was 4 hours or so before I finished what takes me on any other day 1.5 hours. As time went on I had to work faster so that I could be done by the time Nate arrived home from work. As I was rushing through the study, I kept thinking about my strong desire to take flowers to Nathaniel's grave, but how that costs money. (I'd thrown out all of the dead bouquets from our house earlier in the day, so we couldn't reuse any of those flowers, and who would want to anyway!) We have a change jar which is holding the start of our savings for our early summer trip to Alaska in 2008, so I pulled some quarters from that to buy flowers at New Seasons.
For Nathaniel's funeral I had carried a bouquet from New Seasons. When the assistant manager of the flower department found us in there panicked about which flowers to coordinate for the bouquet, she immediately took over and gave us about $75 in flowers for our $25 budget. She knew that we were headed to the funeral of our son and so she said it was her gift to us. When we arrived back at the floral department on Friday night, she was in there again. Nate and I each picked out a rose and asked her if we could wrap them up before paying for them since they were dripping wet. She asked if we needed water and I told her no, they're headed to where they need to be right now. She took the roses, wrapped them up beautifully, handed them back to us, and told us again that they were her gift to us.
When we got back into the car I began sobbing. I kept looking at the roses and seeing a special blessing from God. I felt His message of provision and control. He has us wrapped up in His arms and He's going to make things come together in ways we can't imagine. I look at the blessings I've already experienced through Nathaniel Micheal, and can only wonder at the blessings on other people that I don't see. God's at work in this, I know it, and I know that He's not leaving us out to dry. Those roses represented a promise to me of hope. One was deep red and the other was bright, fallish orange. Past and future. It's all going to come together!
10.04.2007
A breather
After the funeral, Nate and I whipped home and prepared ourselves to get away for the evening. We packed a bag and headed to Cannon Beach. What a wonderful gift! We stayed in a warm, comfy (albeit sometimes chokingly smoky) room overnight and then enjoyed the town in the morning. It was a great way to take some time to remember the previous week and simply revel in each other's company.
When we returned home, our house was filled with gorgeous flowers! Thank you!
When we returned home, our house was filled with gorgeous flowers! Thank you!
10.03.2007
October 2
When we said goodbye to Nathaniel at the hospital, Nate and I knew that we hated the idea of waiting too long to have his funeral. We wanted to know where he was and not worry about him as he traveled through the hospital and funeral services system. He died from omphalocele (actually, a variation of that disease), and I couldn't imagine knowingly putting his little body through any more.
So we set the funeral date for Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 12 noon.
The weather broke just enough for us to have a graveside service; I absolutely did not want to have the service inside. I wanted to spend time with him where he'd remain.
Nate and I were able to be alone with Nathaniel until the service started, which was wonderful. We needed that extra time to prepare ourselves for what followed. Everyone was sent to the outdoor tent that was set up, and Nate and I followed along behind the funeral home director. Nate carried Nathaniel and I held on to some flowers. The service was quick and memorable. Jeff led the services for us, which was wonderful.
There were so many friendly faces there with us!
So we set the funeral date for Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 12 noon.
The weather broke just enough for us to have a graveside service; I absolutely did not want to have the service inside. I wanted to spend time with him where he'd remain.
Nate and I were able to be alone with Nathaniel until the service started, which was wonderful. We needed that extra time to prepare ourselves for what followed. Everyone was sent to the outdoor tent that was set up, and Nate and I followed along behind the funeral home director. Nate carried Nathaniel and I held on to some flowers. The service was quick and memorable. Jeff led the services for us, which was wonderful.
There were so many friendly faces there with us!
10.01.2007
Friends & Fam
I wanted to include some pictures of some of the people who so faithfully sat with us at the hospital, but I can't figure out their orientation. But you guys know who you are! We didn't get to see them all that often, but knowing they were there was encouraging. Honestly, going into this, Nate and I had no idea how we wanted things done. We weren't sure we'd want family or friends in the room at all, but we played it by ear, and I don't think we'd do it any other way! It was soo good to see so many faces...it broke up the four days a little bit. So kudos to all you for your faithfulness! It meant so much to Nate and I to have you there with us. We love you! I want to remember everyone who stopped by: Mom & Dad, Rae Ann, Stella, & Ivy, Linsea, Dave & Tiffani, Karen & Rick, Linda, Grandma Jo, Grandma & Grandpa Mac, Tim, Laurie, Diane, & Peggy.
Last weekend, Nate and I spent a good amount of time in solitude; well, practically. We spent a good deal of time on the phone reconnecting with friends/clients and working with Mom to plan the funeral. Suzi was in town (along with Karina - she could only stay through to Monday, though) so on Monday night we went out to dinner.
It was a fun way to relax a little before the funeral on Tuesday! The little girlies made it delightful :)
Last weekend, Nate and I spent a good amount of time in solitude; well, practically. We spent a good deal of time on the phone reconnecting with friends/clients and working with Mom to plan the funeral. Suzi was in town (along with Karina - she could only stay through to Monday, though) so on Monday night we went out to dinner.
It was a fun way to relax a little before the funeral on Tuesday! The little girlies made it delightful :)
9.29.2007
Beautiful day
On Tuesday (September 25), I went to my midwife appointment with Peggy - Mom went with me. To start off the appointment, I asked Peggy all my questions from the last month of pregnancy. One of them was about my ear piercing that had grown increasingly infected over the last three weeks. I'd tried an antibiotic while we were at Magone, but nothing changed. I showed Peggy the piercing and she said, "Well, let's get that thing out of there!" Next thing I knew, I was laying on my side with one nurse holding a clamp to the front of my earing, Mom holding onto my legs, and Peggy working to twist the back side of my earring off the bar. Yes, it hurt. I spent the whole time laughing nervously. It was no good! And yet I still chuckle thinking about it...
Next, we whipped out the heart monitor so we could check in with the baby. My uterus has been a problem as we've tried to use the heart monitor before - just too tilted to get a good sound. We couldn't find a heart beat so we all moved into the ultrasound room. The baby came up very clearly on the screen, but we couldn't find the heart beat right away. Finally Peggy spotted some slow movement, but it was only in one of the four chambers of the baby's heart. I began to cry.
Peggy called the hospital and had the x-ray department fit us into their schedule; we had to know for sure if the baby was dead. Before leaving her office, Peggy pulled me into a room and told me that she wasn't holding onto hope for the little one.
On the way across the street, to the hospital, Mom began to try to get Nate on the phone. I called and left a message for Karen (Nate's mom). We just didn't know what to do or who to call. I knew the baby was dying, but I wasn't sure how to go about telling people that. Poor Karen; she ended up with the most blunt message on her machine.
Nate met me in the ultrasound room at the hospital in time to see a few of the pictures and find out for sure that the baby had died. We talked to Peggy on the phone and she gave us the option of checking into Labor & Delivery, or going home and waiting for my body to expel the baby naturally when it was time. There was no way I was going home to sit around waiting, knowing that I was carrying a dead baby in my abdomen. Not a chance.
We were placed in room 2417 at Portland Adventist Hospital. It took forever for me to compel myself to get into that bed, fully knowing how it was going to end. There was no treasure at the end of this path. Nate and I prayed together and wept hard. God gave me some calm, just enough in that moment to get me to change and climb into that bed. That became typical of Him over the next four days. He kept giving me exactly what I needed, just when I needed it. I don't pretend to understand the why behind what happened, but I know that no matter what, He's been with me every step of the way.
As has my husband. Nate is the most amazing man I've ever met. I'm so proud of him, and so proud to be his wife. We had a precious little baby boy together, who we'll meet down the road. The four days in the hospital were so hard, but so good. I don't expect any of you out there to understand that, but our experience was remarkable. God gave us amazing nurses along with Peggy. They were all incredibly supportive and encouraging. We did some laughing, we did a lot of crying.
God moved between Nate and I in such unexpected ways. He's carried us through when we thought there was no bit of strength left in either of us. He's made Himself very real. We know He has a greater plan through this; at this point, I don't expect to find out what that is, but I know that it'll be an incredible blessing.
We named the baby Nathaniel Micheal Banks - Nathaniel after Nate, obviously, Micheal after my middle name, Michelle. He was born on Friday, September 28, 2007, 1:56am. He doesn't get a record of life, just a record of death. We were given only limited opportunities to be his parents in action: so we held onto him and cried, we handed him over and cried, we left the hospital and cried, we buried him and cried. But we'll always be his parents. It's amazing how much love can grow in such a short amount of time! Three months ago I wasn't even sure I wanted to be a mom, but now I can hardly wait for the next little baby to come along!
Nathaniel was a precious gift, one that God used to unite Nate and I like nothing else ever has. I found in my husband a strong man, filled with passion and emotion and love. He stood by my side through every miserable pelvic exam, a thousand IV pokes, and two epidurals. I'm so proud of him, and so thankful!
So I say Friday was a beautiful day because I met my little boy that day; because I really truly recognized the love of my life in Nate; and because God met me exactly where I was.
Next, we whipped out the heart monitor so we could check in with the baby. My uterus has been a problem as we've tried to use the heart monitor before - just too tilted to get a good sound. We couldn't find a heart beat so we all moved into the ultrasound room. The baby came up very clearly on the screen, but we couldn't find the heart beat right away. Finally Peggy spotted some slow movement, but it was only in one of the four chambers of the baby's heart. I began to cry.
Peggy called the hospital and had the x-ray department fit us into their schedule; we had to know for sure if the baby was dead. Before leaving her office, Peggy pulled me into a room and told me that she wasn't holding onto hope for the little one.
On the way across the street, to the hospital, Mom began to try to get Nate on the phone. I called and left a message for Karen (Nate's mom). We just didn't know what to do or who to call. I knew the baby was dying, but I wasn't sure how to go about telling people that. Poor Karen; she ended up with the most blunt message on her machine.
Nate met me in the ultrasound room at the hospital in time to see a few of the pictures and find out for sure that the baby had died. We talked to Peggy on the phone and she gave us the option of checking into Labor & Delivery, or going home and waiting for my body to expel the baby naturally when it was time. There was no way I was going home to sit around waiting, knowing that I was carrying a dead baby in my abdomen. Not a chance.
We were placed in room 2417 at Portland Adventist Hospital. It took forever for me to compel myself to get into that bed, fully knowing how it was going to end. There was no treasure at the end of this path. Nate and I prayed together and wept hard. God gave me some calm, just enough in that moment to get me to change and climb into that bed. That became typical of Him over the next four days. He kept giving me exactly what I needed, just when I needed it. I don't pretend to understand the why behind what happened, but I know that no matter what, He's been with me every step of the way.
As has my husband. Nate is the most amazing man I've ever met. I'm so proud of him, and so proud to be his wife. We had a precious little baby boy together, who we'll meet down the road. The four days in the hospital were so hard, but so good. I don't expect any of you out there to understand that, but our experience was remarkable. God gave us amazing nurses along with Peggy. They were all incredibly supportive and encouraging. We did some laughing, we did a lot of crying.
God moved between Nate and I in such unexpected ways. He's carried us through when we thought there was no bit of strength left in either of us. He's made Himself very real. We know He has a greater plan through this; at this point, I don't expect to find out what that is, but I know that it'll be an incredible blessing.
We named the baby Nathaniel Micheal Banks - Nathaniel after Nate, obviously, Micheal after my middle name, Michelle. He was born on Friday, September 28, 2007, 1:56am. He doesn't get a record of life, just a record of death. We were given only limited opportunities to be his parents in action: so we held onto him and cried, we handed him over and cried, we left the hospital and cried, we buried him and cried. But we'll always be his parents. It's amazing how much love can grow in such a short amount of time! Three months ago I wasn't even sure I wanted to be a mom, but now I can hardly wait for the next little baby to come along!
Nathaniel was a precious gift, one that God used to unite Nate and I like nothing else ever has. I found in my husband a strong man, filled with passion and emotion and love. He stood by my side through every miserable pelvic exam, a thousand IV pokes, and two epidurals. I'm so proud of him, and so thankful!
So I say Friday was a beautiful day because I met my little boy that day; because I really truly recognized the love of my life in Nate; and because God met me exactly where I was.
9.23.2007
Magone 2007
This was the third year Nate and I tagged along to Magone. And once more it was highly enjoyable!
A few pictures...
Rameus took up his usual camping position: In a chair by the fire wrapped up in a blanket.
Mom shot a bird (the only killing we did; Nate was too kind to the fish so he let go what he caught), so this picture is of Dad taking a picture of Mom and the bird. I laugh every time I look at this one!
Nate and I at the top of Lake Butte. Magone lake is far to our left, not at all in the picture, but, if you had been there with us, you could have seen the lake :) The weather warmed up during the day, so we were able to pare down to long-sleeved clothing items, but at night, it was oh-so-cold! The tent flap zipper broke on our tent, so we slept with just the mesh closed. Good times :)
Susanville is one of our favorite stops while at Magone. Two years ago we went through the little leftover buildings, Mom, Dad, & Nate climbed through a deserted mine while I sat in the car keeping guard, and then we drove down toward the creek to have lunch and do some shooting. This year, when we turned on the road toward Susanville, we began to see signs for no trespassing. But the road belonged to the National Forest, so we kept going. We got to the mine and the whole thing was barred off; and I had even been willing to venture inside this time! (Lucky break for me the mine was closed.) As we drove along further, we actually passed between two no trespassing signs posted right on the either side of the road. This was just after passing a "You're now leaving Malheur National Forest" sign...We figured it was for real. So we went back to the flat spot by the creek, ate lunch, and then packed out. We had to find another deserted road to do some shooting. So this picture is taken of the truck's hitch with our reflection in Susanville. That was probably the last time we'll ever get to see the abandoned buildings and the effects of hydro mining! So sad...
I just thought that this was a pretty picture of Dakota. She never sits still long enough for me to get good shots, so this was a pleasant surprise.
This is what I usually get from her:
Dad and Mom brought some super burning wood from home, but we powered through it very quickly, so Dad and Nate found some rounds to chop up at the campsite. They picked them up at other, empty sites and brought them over to ours. Then they rolled them up a small hill to a flat spot to take the wedge and axe to them.
Dad chopping...
Nate chopping...
I have the best picture of Nate from when he was done chopping. He's all sprawled out in one of the camp chairs, looking completely spent. I couldn't put it here because it's sideways and I'm lazy :) I'm working on what feels like a thousands posts right now, so bear with me as I trudge my way through the past few weeks. Lots and lots of posts to catch up on...
Our love to you all!
A few pictures...
Rameus took up his usual camping position: In a chair by the fire wrapped up in a blanket.
Mom shot a bird (the only killing we did; Nate was too kind to the fish so he let go what he caught), so this picture is of Dad taking a picture of Mom and the bird. I laugh every time I look at this one!
Nate and I at the top of Lake Butte. Magone lake is far to our left, not at all in the picture, but, if you had been there with us, you could have seen the lake :) The weather warmed up during the day, so we were able to pare down to long-sleeved clothing items, but at night, it was oh-so-cold! The tent flap zipper broke on our tent, so we slept with just the mesh closed. Good times :)
Susanville is one of our favorite stops while at Magone. Two years ago we went through the little leftover buildings, Mom, Dad, & Nate climbed through a deserted mine while I sat in the car keeping guard, and then we drove down toward the creek to have lunch and do some shooting. This year, when we turned on the road toward Susanville, we began to see signs for no trespassing. But the road belonged to the National Forest, so we kept going. We got to the mine and the whole thing was barred off; and I had even been willing to venture inside this time! (Lucky break for me the mine was closed.) As we drove along further, we actually passed between two no trespassing signs posted right on the either side of the road. This was just after passing a "You're now leaving Malheur National Forest" sign...We figured it was for real. So we went back to the flat spot by the creek, ate lunch, and then packed out. We had to find another deserted road to do some shooting. So this picture is taken of the truck's hitch with our reflection in Susanville. That was probably the last time we'll ever get to see the abandoned buildings and the effects of hydro mining! So sad...
I just thought that this was a pretty picture of Dakota. She never sits still long enough for me to get good shots, so this was a pleasant surprise.
This is what I usually get from her:
Dad and Mom brought some super burning wood from home, but we powered through it very quickly, so Dad and Nate found some rounds to chop up at the campsite. They picked them up at other, empty sites and brought them over to ours. Then they rolled them up a small hill to a flat spot to take the wedge and axe to them.
Dad chopping...
Nate chopping...
I have the best picture of Nate from when he was done chopping. He's all sprawled out in one of the camp chairs, looking completely spent. I couldn't put it here because it's sideways and I'm lazy :) I'm working on what feels like a thousands posts right now, so bear with me as I trudge my way through the past few weeks. Lots and lots of posts to catch up on...
Our love to you all!
9.10.2007
Baby room...
So, I don't have a picture of our bed nook to post so you guys get an idea of the room, but I'll do that soon. Meanwhile, here are a few links of designs that have given me some inspiration...
This is the cake lady who started it all (check out all her links on this page, aren't they great???) and this is another Whimsical cake that I like.
This is a Striped Whimsey Polly's Cakes original...isn't it pretty??? So, I'm sure this design works primarily for little girls--not sure what to do with a boy's room, but I'll figure it out if that's the case :)
This is the cake lady who started it all (check out all her links on this page, aren't they great???) and this is another Whimsical cake that I like.
This is a Striped Whimsey Polly's Cakes original...isn't it pretty??? So, I'm sure this design works primarily for little girls--not sure what to do with a boy's room, but I'll figure it out if that's the case :)
9.03.2007
Baby Banks Update
So things are going well! I'm praying very hard that my morning sickness is good and over by this Saturday. Week 13 officially begins on Thursday, and I really need to be done with throwing up in the morning by Saturday because, well, that's the date of my first BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) leader's meeting. I have to get up by 4:45am in order to eat and get ready to make it to the 6am meeting. Feel free to pray along with me that week 13 marks a marvelous change in this pregnancy! Baby and I both appreciate your prayers :)
Nate and I have chosen a Nurse midwife as our pregnancy/labor caregiver. Her name is Peggy and she's fantastic! She's a believer, which has been such a comfort. She's been so encouraging as we've talked through all the changes and flat out weirdness that comes along with pregnancy. The first time I met with her, about five weeks ago, we couldn't get the heart beat to come through on the sound monitor, so we had to do an ultrasound. The baby moved! It was crazy...
Crazier still is the fact that Nate and I will be going into her office in five weeks to find out the sex of the baby...It's nuts that we're already to that point. We still have no idea what we're doing, really. I think we've made a nursery decision, though! Our bedroom is enormous, with a bed nook, sitting room, and extra large bathroom that just keeps on going. Nate had the fabulous idea that we should put our bed in the sitting room area and turn the bed nook into the nursery. That will probably work really well for quite awhile, but when we need to change things around, my office will suffice as a nursery once we move all the books into the bed nook and make it a reading room. My husband's the smartest of them all :)
Before I sign off, any guesses on the sex of the baby???? Feel free to comment :)
We'll keep you updated as we learn more! Blessings on you all!
Nate and I have chosen a Nurse midwife as our pregnancy/labor caregiver. Her name is Peggy and she's fantastic! She's a believer, which has been such a comfort. She's been so encouraging as we've talked through all the changes and flat out weirdness that comes along with pregnancy. The first time I met with her, about five weeks ago, we couldn't get the heart beat to come through on the sound monitor, so we had to do an ultrasound. The baby moved! It was crazy...
Crazier still is the fact that Nate and I will be going into her office in five weeks to find out the sex of the baby...It's nuts that we're already to that point. We still have no idea what we're doing, really. I think we've made a nursery decision, though! Our bedroom is enormous, with a bed nook, sitting room, and extra large bathroom that just keeps on going. Nate had the fabulous idea that we should put our bed in the sitting room area and turn the bed nook into the nursery. That will probably work really well for quite awhile, but when we need to change things around, my office will suffice as a nursery once we move all the books into the bed nook and make it a reading room. My husband's the smartest of them all :)
Before I sign off, any guesses on the sex of the baby???? Feel free to comment :)
We'll keep you updated as we learn more! Blessings on you all!
8.02.2007
The much needed vacation.
SO! July 22nd was our two year anniversary and we took a grand lil' trip to California, where we escaped from it all!!! Not really:) I kept checking the internet to communicate with various clients and friends...I'm not the most dedicated vacationer, what can I say.
We had such a great time, though! I think Nate could've stayed south for just about forever. We're very opposite types in that respect: he wants to extend the vacation as much as possible; all I can think about toward the end is getting home.
The most unpleasant thing, though, was that my morning sickness set in on the trip down to San Louis Obisbo (sp???). Ack. AND the OBs office called me the day we were driving down to tell me that my pregnancy was labeled a "threatened pregnancy." Apparently the doctor wasn't satisfied with the strength of the little one's heart beat at our first ultrasound. (I've since had my second ultrasound and everything is just fine! S/HE has a strong heartbeat and looks good for being a lima bean.)
Pismo Beach, where we ended our honeymoon! It was oh-so-nice to be back!
Nate...just standing in the kitchen, hollering about dinner, if I remember right.
Oso Flaco...Mom and Dad told us to take this little nature walk. It was about 75 degrees outside when we started, but by the time we made it across the lake and toward the ocean, it was much warmer...and WAY windier!
These are cormorants. These are crazy, weird birds! They aren't water proof, or even water resistant, but still they swim. They become weighed down by the water and then have to climb out to dry off (which they do by spreading out their wings - seriously, they'll sit like this for 10 minutes or more, whatever it takes until they're dry) before they drown.
This is the part of the ocean that we walked to after crossing the lake. Getting there was an unwelcome reminder of just how out of shape we are...
Olde Port Restraunt and Inn, where we sat at a glass topped table that had a view through the floor/pier underneath us to the water below. We saw starfish and sea weed, but not much else. We found the sea lions later.
Our anniversary self-portrait. These are always winner angles!
Nate was laughing at the drunk fishermen near us on the dock. After dinner we walked to the end of the dock and watched all the fishing boats and herons and listened to the sea lions howling out on their rock.
Sea lions galore! When we started to head back to the car we found a crazy amount of loud sea lions right under the pier we were walking on. They were incredibly noisy, but we had such fun watching them! (Yeah, sorry, the photo is sideways...)
I have quite a few pictures from when we stopped in and visited with the Powells at their new house, but I think those are on the camera still, which Nate has taken off to work with him...again. :)
One last picture, though. Enjoy :]
We had such a great time, though! I think Nate could've stayed south for just about forever. We're very opposite types in that respect: he wants to extend the vacation as much as possible; all I can think about toward the end is getting home.
The most unpleasant thing, though, was that my morning sickness set in on the trip down to San Louis Obisbo (sp???). Ack. AND the OBs office called me the day we were driving down to tell me that my pregnancy was labeled a "threatened pregnancy." Apparently the doctor wasn't satisfied with the strength of the little one's heart beat at our first ultrasound. (I've since had my second ultrasound and everything is just fine! S/HE has a strong heartbeat and looks good for being a lima bean.)
Pismo Beach, where we ended our honeymoon! It was oh-so-nice to be back!
Nate...just standing in the kitchen, hollering about dinner, if I remember right.
Oso Flaco...Mom and Dad told us to take this little nature walk. It was about 75 degrees outside when we started, but by the time we made it across the lake and toward the ocean, it was much warmer...and WAY windier!
These are cormorants. These are crazy, weird birds! They aren't water proof, or even water resistant, but still they swim. They become weighed down by the water and then have to climb out to dry off (which they do by spreading out their wings - seriously, they'll sit like this for 10 minutes or more, whatever it takes until they're dry) before they drown.
This is the part of the ocean that we walked to after crossing the lake. Getting there was an unwelcome reminder of just how out of shape we are...
Olde Port Restraunt and Inn, where we sat at a glass topped table that had a view through the floor/pier underneath us to the water below. We saw starfish and sea weed, but not much else. We found the sea lions later.
Our anniversary self-portrait. These are always winner angles!
Nate was laughing at the drunk fishermen near us on the dock. After dinner we walked to the end of the dock and watched all the fishing boats and herons and listened to the sea lions howling out on their rock.
Sea lions galore! When we started to head back to the car we found a crazy amount of loud sea lions right under the pier we were walking on. They were incredibly noisy, but we had such fun watching them! (Yeah, sorry, the photo is sideways...)
I have quite a few pictures from when we stopped in and visited with the Powells at their new house, but I think those are on the camera still, which Nate has taken off to work with him...again. :)
One last picture, though. Enjoy :]
7.31.2007
7.20.2007
Only the best dog ever...
this is from before we left town, when i was still house-watching mom and dad's.
7.05.2007
Mom and Dad, this is your yard. Don't forget!
Mom and Dad have been away for awhile (what, not even a week?) and it feels like forever. So I'm posting these pictures so that they remember that they like it here and come home eventually.
I harvested this, don't worry.
And this.
See you guys soon! Enjoy CA, although you're missing gorgeous weather here :)
I harvested this, don't worry.
And this.
See you guys soon! Enjoy CA, although you're missing gorgeous weather here :)
7.04.2007
Yard work
Yesterday was the 4th of July, and it was an excellent day! Nate joined me over at Mom and Dad's to do some work in the garden. We got rid of the weeds and fertilized everything and then Nate picked berries while I took care of the lettuce. He took off after awhile and left me to finish up. He ran to Home Depot and rented a thrasher for the yard.
Okay, so we didn't know what to expect. When he was done running the thrasher across the yard it looked like we had dumped a bunch of dead grass on our newly mowed lawn.
I began to help Nate without really understanding the process or purpose of what we were doing, so it was interesting to learn along with Nate. We raked up all the dead yard debris scattered across the lawn (filling the yard debris bin) and then we spread top soil in the holes left over once the dead grass was removed. We had huge patches of just dirt...Years of neglect had combined to turn our front and back yards into a gross mess! So we laid the top soil and then spread grass seed and fertilizer. Nate ran this other piece of equipment over the yard when we were done, some big round plastic thing that he had me fill up with water to make it heavy.
So we finished with the yard, sprinted inside to clean up, and then rushed over the Seth and Trina Mac's for a family get-together. We weren't there for long, though; we had to go back to Mom and Dad's to put the dogs in before the fireworks started. Poor little Rameus is just old enough (and now dumb enough) to try to break through his invisible fence if he was scared by the banging.
After we locked the dogs up, we joined Dave and Tiffani Martin over at Dave's parents house (1 minute up 172nd from Mom and Dad's house) and watched crazy fireworks. Their neighbor had a spectacular show and then Dave and Nate lit a few mortars that flew straight over where Tiffani and I were sitting. It was such a marvelous night for fireworks! We didn't make it to bed, though, until almost after 1am. And Nate got up at around 6am, or just before. His commitment to his business is amazing, but sometimes I have to shake my head in bewilderment :] Nate and I talked and made a decision for all humankind--we think it's a much better idea for people to work the first half of the day on July 4th and then take the 5th of July off totally. Sounds good, eh?
Oh, this is Tosha hiding from the noise of the thrashing machine.
Enjoy your day!
Okay, so we didn't know what to expect. When he was done running the thrasher across the yard it looked like we had dumped a bunch of dead grass on our newly mowed lawn.
I began to help Nate without really understanding the process or purpose of what we were doing, so it was interesting to learn along with Nate. We raked up all the dead yard debris scattered across the lawn (filling the yard debris bin) and then we spread top soil in the holes left over once the dead grass was removed. We had huge patches of just dirt...Years of neglect had combined to turn our front and back yards into a gross mess! So we laid the top soil and then spread grass seed and fertilizer. Nate ran this other piece of equipment over the yard when we were done, some big round plastic thing that he had me fill up with water to make it heavy.
So we finished with the yard, sprinted inside to clean up, and then rushed over the Seth and Trina Mac's for a family get-together. We weren't there for long, though; we had to go back to Mom and Dad's to put the dogs in before the fireworks started. Poor little Rameus is just old enough (and now dumb enough) to try to break through his invisible fence if he was scared by the banging.
After we locked the dogs up, we joined Dave and Tiffani Martin over at Dave's parents house (1 minute up 172nd from Mom and Dad's house) and watched crazy fireworks. Their neighbor had a spectacular show and then Dave and Nate lit a few mortars that flew straight over where Tiffani and I were sitting. It was such a marvelous night for fireworks! We didn't make it to bed, though, until almost after 1am. And Nate got up at around 6am, or just before. His commitment to his business is amazing, but sometimes I have to shake my head in bewilderment :] Nate and I talked and made a decision for all humankind--we think it's a much better idea for people to work the first half of the day on July 4th and then take the 5th of July off totally. Sounds good, eh?
Oh, this is Tosha hiding from the noise of the thrashing machine.
Enjoy your day!
6.29.2007
Jacob Jeremiah Weigel
Linsea went into labor on Monday, June 25th, and popped out Jake on Tuesday, June 26th, at 1:58pm. She was at Portland Adventist still when she called me and I was able to go meet the 7lb. 4oz., 19" long baby around 8:30pm that night. Mom and baby are happy and healthy, a little more than can be said about new-dad, Ken. He told me yesterday that the stress from long labor and the not sleeping caught up to him on Thursday when they were supposed to be heading home. He said he spent quite a bit of time throwing up in the bathroom, poor guy. I wouldn't wish that on anyone! So, I took a few pictures the night I met Jacob, so here are a few:
Linsea was sooo tired, but she looked great! She said her labor was tough for the first ten hours, and then they gave her medication. Labor lasted nearly 26 hours.
Linsea's dad is holding Jacob in this picture, and Linsea's brother Seth is sitting with his girlfriend Emily. When I got to the hospital, Linsea's brothers were there (along with Emily), and then her parents showed up. They all left after a little while and I sat holding Jacob for about five minutes, until Ken's family showed up.
Just from my observations, Jake has a very Lindquist face, but Ken's chin :]
Linsea was sooo tired, but she looked great! She said her labor was tough for the first ten hours, and then they gave her medication. Labor lasted nearly 26 hours.
Linsea's dad is holding Jacob in this picture, and Linsea's brother Seth is sitting with his girlfriend Emily. When I got to the hospital, Linsea's brothers were there (along with Emily), and then her parents showed up. They all left after a little while and I sat holding Jacob for about five minutes, until Ken's family showed up.
Just from my observations, Jake has a very Lindquist face, but Ken's chin :]
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