Baby J Update

On Friday we had our 20-week ultrasound and got to take a closer look at "Baby J." The report was encouraging - all the parts are there, growth and development look right on schedule (still measuring at June 13th due date), etc. And we got to see a 4-D sonogram in color of Baby J, which we didn't experience with Isaac's ultrasound. It was amazing. I've attached a couple of photos from the 4-D images to give you an idea. You'll notice that the hands are close to the face - which was the story of our ultrasound. It was somewhat difficult to get a view of the face that wasn't hindered by the little hands.
After our ultrasound, we met with our regular OB Doctor. She had reviewed our sonography f'ilms with the ultrasound technician and made us aware that they found 2 echogenic spots ("bright spots") - 1 in the stomach and 1 in the heart. For that reason, she is referring us to a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist who will perform a Level 2 Ultrasound sometime in the next couple of weeks. She reassured us that these are usually nothing to be concerned about (i.e. fluid or calcium buildup), but that she wanted to be conservative and to have someone more closely inspect these areas of Baby J to make sure there wasn't more to the story.

While we await the next level ultrasound and process the news, we thank you for your thoughts and prayers and will most assuredly keep you updated as things continue to develop.

Psalm 139:13: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

Isaac and Mama Day

Isaac and I got to enjoy a day alone yesterday (Joel being gone since Thurs eve on a snowmobile trip with a friend). We started out the day with a waffle breakfast and then headed to the Depot Downtown Duluth where the Children's Museum was sponsoring a free kid's event. The UMD Music Dept is putting on the Opera "Hansel and Gretel" this Spring, and they performed an abbreviated (40 min) version for the public and kids during this free event at the Depot. I wasn't sure if Isaac was going to be into the Opera or not, or whether he'd sit still for that matter, but I was pleasantly surprised. We both enjoyed sitting together and watching/listening to the entertaining show. Following the performance, we bought our tickets and headed to the basement to see the big trains. We couldn't go to the Depot without seeing the trains, after all, and is always a big hit with Isaac. In the afternoon we headed to an indoor amusement park/playground and for a play date with some friends from church (and their 2-year old). As expected, it was busy on a cold winter's January day in Duluth, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless, the kids climbing through the big tunnels, going down the big slides, and (Isaac's favorite) going up and down the giant inflatable "fire truck" slide. Following our energetic afternoon, we headed home for pizza and bath time and both turned in early after a busy (but fun) day. Not knowing how many more opportunities I'll have for a one-on-one day with Isaac (before Baby J arrives), I enjoyed the moments we shared together a little more and was glad to experience the things we did together.

Time to Sing

This past week Happy Time had their annual Christmas show. We weren't exactly sure what Isaac was going to do when it was his group's turn. Apparently, he wasn't in the mood to sing at that moment. See for yourself...

I almost get the feeling he's thinking something like "if I just stay perfectly still...maybe they'll stop" :-)

What's that smell?

I can give you three good reasons why using an oven as a storage location for plastic containers might not be a good idea. Let the reasons begin:

Fortunately, the error was corrected before any serious damage was done to the oven, home or persons. The same can't be said about the cookies and rice crispy treats inside those containers though.

Thanksgiving and Bentleyville Lights

This Thanksgiving weekend we were joined by Joel's parents, Pat and Tom, for a few days of Holiday celebration in Duluth . We enjoyed a Thanksgiving Eve church service on Wed. evening, a day full of good eating on Thursday, and a couple of fun outings on Friday. I'm proud to say that my turkey turned out relatively well, considering it's the 2nd turkey I've fixed in my married life of 7 1/2 years. I'm sure I'll learn new tricks of the trade in the years to come, but for now I'm satisfied with the turnout my trusty roaster gives! Friday we ventured out to experience a bit of "Black Friday" - just visiting one store - which was enough. Then on Friday evening we took the train ride to visit Bentleyville, the Midwest's largest Holiday light display, located at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. For those of you within the state, we would highly recommend you make the trip North to visit (open evenings through 12/23). Check it out here: www.bentleyvilleusa.org
Here's a few highlights of the Bentleyville excursion (photos courtesy of Papa J/Tom):

A snapshot of us on the train ride down to Bayfront...toasty warm but soon to be cold...

The tree's stats are pretty impressive...more than twice as tall as the tree at Rockefeller Plaza in New York, which makes it the tallest man-made Christmas tree in the U.S. Not only was it beautiful, it was very cool to watch it synchronized with the music that was playing through the speakers throughout the park.

Hope you all had a good Turkey Day!

Fun at the Parade

This past Friday evening we attended the Duluth "City of the North Parade." It reminds me of the Minneapolis Aquatennial Torchlight Parade - an evening parade with lights and sounds - except for the cold part. For some reason Duluthians thought it would be a good tradition to start a Holiday parade the Friday night before Thanksgiving and it has stuck all of these years. Regardless of the cold, hundreds of Duluthians lined the streets in the 20-degree (and falling) temperatures between Lake Ave and 5th Ave W downtown to see the 80-unit parade, complete with marching bands, lighted floats, dance lines, fire trucks, and other fun entries. We didn't make it through the entire parade, but we saw enough for a good time. Here's a photo to prove we were there - on the sidelines and bundled up:


And here's a couple of photos of the parade units:


Our favorite entry (and the talk of the parade) was a float built by float-maker and local business owner, who designed a lit-up steam engine train, cars full of oversized toys, and a fog that was released from the train funnel on top of the engine that smelled like peppermint. The float maker had apparently experimented with scented floats before, but the peppermint was a first. It was quite a hit, and the float was pretty cool, too.

Announcing...The Number Two

Yes, the number two is very significant to us these days. Isaac being 2 (1/2) years old, and also we're excited to announce that we are expecting our second child (consequently, we are 2 1/2 months along :-)), due in mid-June. Let me include 2 pictures below to put things into perspective (not to mention the 2nd Lilypie ticker you now see on top of our blog)...Not sure which one of us looks more excited in the photos above...I'll let you decide :-)