Snapshots

A Thrift Shop Find, the beginning of my DIY Endeavors

2011-03-09T21:07:00.010-05:00

I've had the desire to purchase and refinish old pieces of furniture. I finally purchased my first piece and have started the process! My $65 Dresser.

The Painted Dresser

The top was left natural, but has some burns and water stains.

(But, that's for another post!)

The Products!

I started off by cleaning the entire piece with Mineral Spirits

Then, using my Heavy Duty Gloves and a paintbrush, I applied the Klean Strip and let it

sit for about 15 minutes. Let it do it's work!

Using a plastic putty knife (rather than metal, which could nick the wood),

the paint came off easily! Then, using Mineral Spirits, I washed the piece again.

Did the same to all the drawers

Voila! Before I knew it, I had the whole piece stripped!

Now, the next step is to stain it. The wood was beautiful underneath.

I'm not a pro, but I'm thinking it's Oak, so I'd like try and keep the integrity of the natural wood.

I can't wait to finish the piece! Since we are in the process of moving, I'm guessing I won't get to it anytime soon!

It's official!

2011-03-07T22:41:00.005-05:00

After 181 weeks or 2 1/2 years we are finally moving into our own home!

The last 2 1/2 years have been a long season of joblessness and living with the Clarks and Teamans. We are forever grateful for their kindness and love while providing us with homes and allowing us to live with them.

BUT, we are so thankful to finally be in our own home again.

God has provided us with even MORE than we could have imagined.

We will be renting from a family we know at a homeschooling co-op, Learning Center.

The house:

Located in Elizabethtown

4 Bedrooms!

2 1/2 Baths!

Large Yard!

Family Room in the Daylight Basement!

Deck

A wonderful neighborhood

PLENTY of storage and lots of room to grow!

We start the cleaning and painting one week from today, March 14th. We are so excited and ready to make this home ours!

Getting Inspired

2010-12-07T16:22:00.003-05:00

I've always been a fan of the "Do It Yourself" projects. I love the whole idea of re-purposing, transforming and bringing something from inspiration to fruition. I also love old things. Old homes, old furniture, old books, old quilts, old dishes and all things with character, items with a story.

I wish I could call myself an antiques enthusiast, but really that requires a huge investment of time AND money.

I have dreams of coming across that ultimate find. Becoming the reupholstering queen, of tiling, sanding and staining, filling my home with items I've loved and transformed.

But, for now, I'll start off small.

The short list.

1. Refinish our watermarked bed side tables. Time for a new look.

2. Make a headboard for our bed.

3. Paint my girls Bunk Beds an antique white.

So now you know where my mind wanders when I have nothing else going on. What I think about as I drift off to sleep. I'm dreaming, not of sugar plums and fairies, but of power tools, paint colors and flea market finds.

We're BACK!

2010-12-06T21:36:00.003-05:00

So, because of some issues logging into my old email address, (Google did something to my password!!) I was unable to blog! BUT, I figured it out (had to go to an email I have not used in like 4 years!

There's just too much to catch up on, so I'll start with life now. :)

In the meantime, enjoy some pictures of our growing girlies...

Thankfulness & Homeschooling

2010-08-18T13:59:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I attended my first Learning Center Picnic.

I'm a homeschooling Mom? How did this happen? I'll be taking Nora to Learning Center a couple times a month for Music & Movement, Math Games and Art.

It doesn't seem so long ago, that I graduated in the sanctuary of Grace Chapel! As a Home Schooled student, I attended CHESS (both LC and CHESS meet at Grace Chapel) and had my graduation ceremony through CHESS.

Here I am, in a time of life, where I'll be responsible for the education of my children. I'm excited, astounded and a bit fearful of what the future holds. Will I be able to teach her all she needs to know? What if I can't do it?

Don't get me wrong, I know the practical. I know full well what a homeschooling household looks like. I know there will be days where my patience is tested, where my patience is exhausted, where my anger wins out.

But, I keep telling myself, there will be days of triumph. Days of memories. Days where patience prevails. Days of hope. Days that I will smile and laugh.

I'm thankful that I live in a place, where I have a choice in my child's education (at least for now). I'm thankful that God gives strength to the weak.

I'm thankful for women who have gone before me, taken this quest and succeeded!

I'm thankful for Co-op's like Learning Center, that build a support system. That don't leave you alone and floundering.

I'm thankful that despite all I am, she WILL learn. She will read. She will excel (maybe even in MATH!). God has molded her. God has a plan for her. I can't mess that up!

So, I embark on a new adventure for my life. I'm truly, officially a Home School Mom.

Remember When...

2010-08-16T20:34:00.007-04:00

The last two weekends, we've had the pleasure of celebrating the marriages of some longtime family friends.

I decided to look through some photo's to remember some weddings of years past. Here is a walk down memory lane.

May 2005

Remember When Chris & Laura Ruhl got married?

Mike, Tim & Gabe

They look so young!

Mike, Tim, Cameron & Gabe

Destiny & Mike (FINALLY TOGETHER!)

a very little Elizabeth!

Janelle, Me, Destiny

Elizabeth & Brady

Tim & Brian

Janelle & The Lovely Bride, Laura

silly, wet, sandy girls

2010-08-09T21:42:00.002-04:00

It's such a joy to see our girls play together, now that Elise is older. They bring laughter, smiles and DIRT to our lives!

Nora and Elise are NOT afraid to get dirty when they play. Here's some pictures of our silly, wet, sandy girls having fun outside.

Wildwood

2010-07-21T14:04:00.007-04:00

Elise was such a mess this morning, that I thought getting her out of the house would minimize the fussiness! Well, it mostly worked!

We went to Wildwood (just moments from Dan and Amy's apartment). We spent some time in the Science Center, then walked on some of the trails.

Here's Nora exploring in the Center

Elise listening to Detective Muskrat

Theresa pointed this out, doesn't it look like a skull?

We found a turtle!

All the plant life around the lake

Elise loved exploring

I think she's going to be my explorer, she had to touch everything!

Thanks for coming with us Theresa!!

Fort Hunter

2010-07-20T21:49:00.007-04:00

We are staying at Dan and Amy's home, while they are on vacation. Tim has to do quite a bit more driving to work, but so far we've been enjoying the time alone.

This morning, the girls and I headed over to Fort Hunter. We spent some time on the play ground and then checked out the river, before it started pouring down rain.

Knoebels

2010-07-13T19:20:00.005-04:00

We had the opportunity to hang out with the Eckels at Knoebel's last Friday!

Here are a few of my favorite pics. We all took a ride on the Tea Cups. I loved hearing the girls giggle!

Celebrations!

2010-06-22T23:33:00.009-04:00

Congratulations Rachel! We are so proud of all the hard work you've put into school. We are also excited to see where God leads and takes you in the future!

Rachel graduated from PA Cyber School this past month. We were all able to attend her graduation ceremony and celebrate with family afterwards. Steven & Rachel and Theresa all came into town to participate in the celebration. It was so nice to have the whole family together, it had been a while. :)

Tim, the girls and I all camped out back, just so we could be near all the action. It was nice to not have to drive back and forth all weekend.

Rachel is planning on going to HACC in the fall and is unsure about what she's going to pursue, but is thinking of Education. She would like to one day teach at a cyber school.

Here's some pics of her graduation.

Easter Weekend, Part 1

2010-04-12T19:54:00.005-04:00

We had the pleasure of having Steve and Rachel over for Easter Weekend! It was so much fun to have them stay at our house (we hope we have lots of room for them when we finally have our own place again!). The girls got to spend lots of quality time with them!

Rachel and I had opportunity to have long talks and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better! She is such a joy to spend time with. Steven really picked a jewel!!! :)

I look forward to MANY years of our friendship growing. I couldn't ask for a sweeter sister!! :)

Here are a few pics that I got Easter Morning after church. We said goodbye from there. I was actually very sad the rest of the day. It was emotional for me as we parted ways.

We plan to get out there to see them more regularly!

P.S Rachel had surgery today, everything went well, but please pray for a quick and healthy recovery!!!!!

Thankfulness Thursdays

2010-03-11T21:32:00.002-05:00

I almost missed Thankfulness Thursdays!!!

Today I'm thankful for the simple pleasures of Bubble Baths!!! I love to take long hot bubble baths and my girls love them too!!

Thankfulness Thursdays

2010-03-04T09:40:00.006-05:00

Today I am Thankful for SPRING!!!!!

I'm thankful for each new season, but spring is always a bit more enticing to me! We have many things to be thankful for. Here's a few things that have happened in "my" springtime seasons...

April 9th is my Birthday! That was always exciting to me! (A little less exciting now a days!)

April 19, 2004

Tim told me he was interested in me and wanted to pursue a relationship! That day was a big deal to me. I was finally able to express my feelings for him and was confident that we'd one day be husband and wife!!

April 4, 2006

God gave us a very early and very small gift, Nora Sabella!! At 3lb. 9 oz. she came 8 weeks early and had to spend 25 days in the NICU, but through all that we saw God's kindness and mercy! He gave us a healthy baby girl.

April 29, 2006

We FINALLY got to take Nora home from the NICU! It was one of the most AMAZING feeling ever. We walked out, into the warm spring air, to finally have our family together, under one roof! No more 2AM calls to the NICU, no more sleepless nights wondering if she was ok, if she was crying, if someone was comforting her, if she was alone. Now, I could touch her face and see that she was ok.

April 10, 2009

The Birth of another Baby Girl, Elise Micaela. After 6 weeks of bed rest, I was ready for her to come!!! It was a difficult c-section, I lost too much blood and had to have a transfusion. BUT, Elise was full term and a whopping 7lbs 2.4 oz. (Whopping in comparison to Nora, that is!)

So, I'm thankful for the renewing of Spring. The snow melting, trees blooming, flowers peeking through the damp soil and warmer, sunnier days to come!

Spring Time is a reminder to me of God's faithfulness and mercy. Mercy that is new not only each spring, but each morning.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24

Mercies Anew

Every morning that breaks
There are mercies anew
Every breath that I take
Is your faithfulness proved
And at the end of each day
When my labors are through
I will sing of Your mercies anew
When I’ve fallen and strayed
There were mercies anew
For you sought me in love
And my heart you pursued
In the face of my sin
Lord, You never withdrew
So I sing of Your mercies anew

And Your mercies, they will never end
For ten thousand years they’ll remain
And when this world’s beauty has passed away
Your mercies will be unchanged

And when the storms swirl and rage
There are mercies anew
In affliction and pain
You will carry me through
And at the end of my days
When Your throne fills my view
I will sing of Your mercies anew
I will sing of Your mercies anew

By Mark Altrogge, Bob Kauflin

Thankfulness Thursdays

2010-02-18T22:04:00.004-05:00

During this difficult season of our lives, I find that I need to remind myself of all God has given to me. He is working in our lives, even though I don't understand or know the path he has us walking.

So, each Thursday, I'm going to write about something I'm thankful to God for. Some things are life changing, some are simple joys of my life!

Since we just had Valentines day, I'm going to be thankful for MY Valentine!

God gave me such a gift in Tim. I always prayed that God would provide me with a man that loves the Lord and who would love me, despite all my sins!!! God gave me Tim! He loves me and our girls so well. This season has brought many ups and downs for him. Sometimes he feels lost, but ultimately he know that God is in control. I know at the end of this season, we will see how God worked in our lives. More specifically, we will see how God had taken Tim down a whole new path. How God has grown, stretched, provided, loved, disciplined, and shown Himself to Tim! It's exciting to see God working in our lives!

Come April, we will have been together for 6 years! Tim always says to me (almost daily) "Thank you for being my wife". I'm so thankful that he pursued ME.

Thanks babe, for working so hard for our family. I love you!! I am so thankful that God has brought us together! He has great plans for us!

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." I Cor. 13:4-7

Farm Show 2010

2010-02-18T20:55:00.007-05:00

This year, we went early in the day. We left Elise at home and had blast with just Nora. She was able to do all the kids activities and take her time looking at the animals. Later in the day, we met up with our friends, Dan, Amy and baby Emma. Here's some pics of the day...we were there from 1:30 till 9:00!!!

Our FIRST stop, Milkshake!

Daddy's favorite, Mozzarella squares

THE best chocolate milkshakes EVER

Nora checking out the Alpaca

Gotta milk the cow!

Nora loved playing in the kids area!

She would have been content to stay here all day!

Our little piggy...

Nora and Daddy

We sat and watched an educational program about amphibians...

"thats a BIG frog!"

Nora always takes a ride on the Merry Go Round with Daddy

Nora put a few stitches in the Farm Show Quilt!

Next year her name will be listed with the quilt

Taking the Dairy Quiz

Mini Golf for Mr. Yuck!

Watching the trains

Nora loved the dogs! She wasn't even afraid of the big ones! Of course

this one was ADORABLE, who could be afraid of her!

Some bounty from PA Orchards

Emma enjoying some supper

Piglets!

Of course, the girls loved the chicks

We found a hen that had laid an egg

MMM...Cotton Candy. Nora didn't know what it was.

Our dear friends, Emma, Amy and Dan

Baby Emma

2nd time visiting the kids area

Peacocks!

Nora's FAVORITE thing about the farm show?

The BUS ride from and to the car!!

Trying to recap...

2010-01-27T10:04:00.005-05:00

Due to computer issues, it's been difficult to keep up with the blog. I'm going to try and recap the holidays, so bear with me!

Lets start with a few pictures from Christmas Morning. Our first Christmas as a growing family...

Elise opening her first gift...

She really got into it...climbing on top was the most fun!

And don't forget to taste the paper!

Nora was a great big sis. She was patient and took turns opening with Elise!

~life~

2009-11-25T09:07:00.005-05:00

Not much really is going on here. Well, I guess it feels that way, but maybe only because I'm stuck in the house!!!

Dad got the H1N1 Flu a few weekends ago.. He ran a fever for a week, which makesdhim contagious. He was holed up in his room for a good week!! He also had (and still has) bronchitis, which maked him feel even worse. He had H1N1 pretty badly and was put on Tamiflu and antibiotics for the bronchitis.

Mom started feeling towards the end of the week. She didn't have it as severely as Dad, which is great, but she's also holed up in their room.

So far, no one else has symptoms. The girls seem unaffected, which is GREAT!!!!

It did ruin our Thanksgiving plans however. We weren't able to go to Kim and Tom's. So, we didn't get to meet little Angelina!! :( I know that it's best for everyone, especially Angelina, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!! :)

So, I ended up cooking Thanksgiving Dinner by myself!! After all that I'm starting to think that Thanksgiving Dinner is over rated!!! Cameron, Kristen Joel and Lizzie were all here. Thankfully, Mom and Dad were well enough to join us at the table!! It was fun, but we missed all our family. We definitely felt a bit Quarantined.

We bought a new used car! We really weren't even looking, but would often talk about getting a van or suv. Someone in our neighborhood was selling a 1994 Honda LX Wagon for a great price! Originally Dad was thinking of purchasing it, but when he told us about it, we jumped on it! We need a bigger vehicle! So, we bought it and we are going to give Tim's car to Dad. So, we both get a car out of it. Dad just needs something for the papers, so it should be OK. We feel so blessed to have it!!

Tim's been working and going to school. So his days are still very busy! We miss seeing him!

We've decided to move our bedroom into the basement to have more privacy. So, it's already finish, but we are painting and replacing the carpet with remnants from Ollies. We've already organized the storage side of the basement, and now have emptied out the finished side. Now we just need to build a wall (for Elise's little room), rip out the current carpeting, paint the room, hall and stairs, put in a closet organizer and lay the carpet.

Since Tim's working and going to school, it will be hard to get done in a timely manner, but we hope to get in before Christmas!!

The girls are growing up fast! Elise is doing SO much these days!!

-crawling

-feeding herself cheerios, animal crackers or whatever we give her!!

-sitting up and ALMOST getting into a sitting position on her own

-clapping

-waving

-standing while holding onto furniture or our hands

-6 teeth!!

It's hard to believe that she's almost 8 months old!!!

Nora is also growing up so much. She's turning into a little woman!! She helps take care of Elise by running for things like diapers and wipes. She plays with her in her crib to keep her happy until Mommy can come rescue Elise. She plays with her on the floor and makes sure to tell Mommy when Elise eats something off the floor! :)

We are so excited for Christmas with the girls this year!! As always, we wish we had more to spend on gifts, but we are concentrating on the girls this year. We know that family understand our current under-employed status. But, it does make us sad to not be able to give more.

This year Nora gets to participate in the Children's Christmas Eve Program at Church! We are excited to see her sing on stage! :)

We are thankful for Tim's part time job at Costco. It's turning out to be a real asset and we wish he had pursued it sooner. Hindsight is always 20/20.

I haven't been taking many pictures, but I will try and update you with the girls pictures soon!!

~Nicoli

~LEAVES~

2009-11-07T19:36:00.008-05:00

Nora "helped" Tim rake leaves this week. She did little raking, but she did enjoy playing in the 2 huge piles!

I love her beaming smile!

Tim taking a rest after a few hours of yard work. Thanks Babe!

~An Update On Life~

2009-10-23T17:34:00.006-04:00

I've been terrible at keeping my blog up to date! So, even though I don't have time to load some pictures, I thought I could do a little update on our family.

Probably the biggest change around here is that Tim has started working at Costco AND is going to HACC for his Microsoft Certification (MCSA & MCSE). School started in the middle of September and is going really well

for him. Our hope is that it will provide a brand new job opportunity for Tim. It was a long 13 month journey to get here, but we feel like things are finally starting to happen. We are anticipating some great things for our future!

As Tim is working AND going to school, we are seeing him much less than before! He work 5 evenings a week (3-10) and has school Mondays and Wednesdays (6-9:30), then class again on Saturdays (8:00-11:30) and works Saturday evenings. So, we don't see him much at all. Mornings and early afternoon are what we get. :) Which I guess is better than nothing. It does limit our opportunities to get with friends and doesn't allow for Tim to attend our Care Group meetings. I know he will miss the fellowship there.

Elise is getting SO BIG!!! She had a 6 month appointment last week. She weighed in at 16 lbs. 13 oz. (56%) she was 26 3/4 in. long (74%) and Head Circumference is 17 (63%).

So, she's LONG! I already knew that since she doesn't fit most of her clothes!!!! :)

Her visit went well, except for one thing. It appears that she has a heart murmur. Nora also has a murmur and a hole in her heart. So on November 20th, Elise will see a Pediatric Cardiologist and we'll see if it's serious or not. At this point, our Pediatrician is guessing that it's just small and nothing to worry about, but we still have to check it out.

She's doing SO MUCH! For the last few weeks, she's been crawling everywhere, sitting by herself for long periods of time and is eating EVERYTHING!

She has 5 teeth and 2 more on working their way in. She's already eating animal crackers and biter biscuits because she needs something to gnaw on!

Nora is doing well. She spend most of her day playing by herself. Often she is in her own little imagination world. She talks to herself, plays various games and gets "lost" in her world. It's great that she is able to occupy herself.

Anyway, that's an update for now! I'll try my best to post some pictures of Halloween and Nora playing in the leaves.

Visit with Grandma Hinshaw

2009-10-13T14:06:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago, my Grandma visited from Columbus, Ohio. On Friday night, Tom and Kim and most of my siblings came over for a visit.

Here's some snapshots of the evening...

Seasons

2009-10-03T20:27:00.011-04:00

"Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each." ~ Thoreau

I love Autumn. It's only the beginning, but we were able to get out and enjoy a childhood favorite of mine, the West Lampeter Fair!

Poppy & Elise enjoying the Fair

Sweet Elise, I love her smile!

Nora and Daddy waiting to make Nora's own Jump Rope!!

Here's Nora making the jump rope, with Daddy's help.

Elise chilling after her bath...ready for bed now.

Soon to come, our visit with Grandma Hinshaw and Gettysburg...

We Are...PENN STATE!

2009-09-19T10:16:00.008-04:00

Tim and I had the opportunity to use some family PSU tickets! We were able to see the Penn State season opener, which was tons of fun! PSU fans are always amazing and make for an entertaining ball game (even if it's not a great game).

Here's a slide show of our time in Happy Valley.

FINALLY! New Hampshire Pictures!

2009-09-10T13:23:00.002-04:00

Here is a scrap blog of our Clark Family Vacation to New Hampshire!

If you click on the Scrapblog logo on the bottom right, then click full screen you can enjoy a larger format!

Elise at 4 months!

2009-08-21T23:45:00.004-04:00

Elise Micaela

4 months and counting...

This week Elise had her 4 month check up. It's hard to believe 4 months have come and gone so quickly!

She's getting SO BIG! Here's her measurements:

Weight: 14 lbs. 15.6 oz. (71%)

Length: 24 1/2 inches (51%)

Head Circumference: 16 1/4 (52%)

Here's what she's been up to:

~Almost 2 weeks before she hit 4 months, her first tooth broke through!

~She is able to sit up with a little support

~She's got STRONG legs and stands often (with help of course!)

~She reaches for things and grabs them

~She reaches for toys and they head DIRECTLY for her mouth!

~She talks a lot

~She laughs a lot!

~She's very ticklish!

~She sits in her Bumbo and plays with her toys

~She grabs her toes (and sometimes gets them in her mouth!)

~She loves to smile (some folks can get more smiles out of her than others!)

It seems like everyday brings about something new that she's learning or doing!

After her Dr. appointment, she started her first solids, Rice Cereal! Yum. Below are some pics of her first time trying it out.

I love that sweet face!

Posing with Big Sis, getting ready to try out Rice Cereal

She grabbed the spoon right out of my hand

She moves so much that it's hard to be clean about it!

I stole this from Steve's Blog

2009-08-13T11:59:00.002-04:00

Hey, you need to check this guy out. What an amazing pianist! I love this arrangement!

Sisters

2009-07-06T12:37:00.013-04:00

I thought it would be fun to compare Elise with Nora's baby pictures! So, here's a little taste...

Elise birth day - 7lb.2.4 oz (supposedly) 22 in. Long

Nora's birth day - 3 lb. 9 oz. 17 in. long

Elise at 1 1/2 weeks

Nora at 1 1/2 weeks

Elise around 1 Month (May)

Nora around 1 month, home only a few days at this point (May)

Elise around 2 months (June)

Nora around 2 months (June)

Elise around 3 months (July)

Nora around 3 months (July)

2009 Teaman Reunion

2009-06-29T11:12:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, we headed up to Bellefonte PA for our Family Reunion. Here's some pictures of our time there.

Memory Lane Monday - Youth Camp 2004

2009-06-22T12:40:00.005-04:00

I know, it's been a long time, but it's back, Memory Lane Monday.

I chose Youth Camp 2004 in honor of this past weeks Youth Camp. Here is a YC 2004 slide show from Mount Zion Camp. We have great memories there!! :)

AMAZING NEWS!!

2009-06-18T12:48:00.005-04:00

Today we found out that Pop's Leukemia is in REMISSION! This is amazing news, because in October, the news was so grim. They didn't expect Pop to live long, to be able to recieve treatments or to beat Leukemia.

God had other plans! He not only lived longer than expected, recieved MORE treatments than normal (7 treatments, 5 is normal) but NOW his Bone Marrow is NORMAL!!! The Doctor's are stumped and don't understand how this can be...

We believe that God has chosen to hear prayers and to heal Pop. He has blessed him with many reasons to live and is an example of God's joy and love. We will continue to pray that his life is a living example of God's miracles (beating cancer TWICE!) and more importantly of the miracle of Christ dying on the cross for our sins, pouring out his grace on our lives, when we don't deserve it.

Thank you Lord for this blessing of Life!!!

Oregon Dairy Farm Days

2009-06-10T18:38:00.003-04:00

Today we went to Oregon Dairy to see Animals, take rides and eat yummy food. Nora really enjoyed all the animals, the playground and the rides on the tractor and wagon! Here are some pics from our fun day...

May

2009-06-03T11:28:00.015-04:00

May was another exciting month for us! Elise continues to grow and gain weight...she has an appointment on the 15th, so we'll see how big she is then! Nora is a great big sister, she's usually very gentle and loving with her!

Here's some pictures of what we've been up to this past month...

I took some pictures of Dan and Amy before the baby comes!

These are some of my favorites

I really like this one...so sweet.

Then Tim and I headed off to a B&B for one night...we could have stayed much longer!!

While we were there, Amy was going through the WORST labor and delivery...I felt so bad for her! But, we were finally able to meet little Emma...so adorable!

Here we are at Tim's parents for Memorial Day weekend...Nora playing the harmonica...
Steve, Rachel, Tim and I went to Arts Fest...
Elise was there too...
As always, we had a great time with Steve and Rachel

Here's Nora making cards for Dan, Amy and Emma

Elise is sitting nearby in her Bumbo...

She's growing up fast...

I'll post some pics of her along with some pics of me as a baby...she looks like I did!!

Here's Nora meeting baby Emma for the first time

Here we are at the pool! Thanks to Gram for getting us a pool pass...

Elise is fast asleep...

Nora loves the water, here she is in the baby pool...

This year, she's tall enough to stand in the "big pool"!!!
She's very brave!!! Walking all by herself!I think she'll be swimming by the end of the summer!

Here's Elise...she found her thumb!!

A Suite Escape

2009-05-22T14:32:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday Tim and I were able to get away for the night. We found A Suite Escape online and it had great reviews. So, we decided to check it out. We are SO glad we found this place! It's even more beautiful than the pictures make it out to be. It has all the amenities we look for (fireplace, big bath tub, clean nicely appointed rooms, great views) PLUS it had a wonderful hot tub!

I'm pretty picky when it comes to staying overnight somewhere. If I don't feel like the place is clean, it takes me a long time to get comfortable with my suroundings. As soon as we stepped into our room, it was like being in our own home. Well, better than our own home, because it was so beautiful!

If we didn't need to get back to our girls, we would have stayed an extra night! We'd like to go back, maybe even with some friends and rent the other suite with a full kitchen. Either way, we will be returning!

Nora's "Hair Cut"

2009-05-08T13:05:00.003-04:00

So, Tuesday evening, Tim walked into the Kitchen to find a pile of hair on the floor. Yeah, Nora cut her hair. Earlier in the day, she saw Poppy getting his hair cut and she said he was getting "beautiful". I guess she decided that she wanted to be beautiful too! Here are some pics of her cut and her new hair cut. Plus my attempt (which didn't succeed) at getting some good pictures of the girls outside.

Elise's Birth Day Story Part 1

2009-04-25T21:34:00.006-04:00

Friday, April 10th - Our 2:30 scheduled C-section had been previously canceled and rescheduled for April 14th.

Tim and I headed off to Camp Hill for our normal BioPhysical Ultrasound for little Elise. As always, we packed up all our stuff and took it along "just in case". On the way we got a donut and coffee to get Elise moving.

We got into the US room and the technician began the 1/2 hour test. After just a few minutes, the Tech mentioned that Elise wasn't moving AT ALL. Usually she has at least 1 or 2 small movements. Time continued on...soon her 1/2 hour was up and there were zero movements and zero tones. She needed to get 3 movements and 2 tones to pass the test. Once again, she got a 4 our of possible 8 points.

The Technician said she's be surprised if they didn't send us to the Birth Place immediately.

We got on the phone and of course, they sent us over. Since we'd been there 4 other times, we weren't totally convinced they were going to take the baby.

Our minds went to "maybe we ARE going to have this baby today, even though our c-section has been canceled due to limited room in the Birth Place!!!" "Maybe we'll see Elise today!" "But probably not, they'll send us home again" "But, Dr. Long is HERE and he said he's available today" "But the Birth Place has too many inductions today, no room for us".

Waiting...and more waiting.

Phone calls...and more waiting.

In walks our nurse, Cheryl. "Hi, I'm going to be your nurse, we are going to do the C-section this afternoon!" I was ELATED!! She later recounted how excited my response was. :)

Suddenly, multiple nurses were taking my blood, getting my IV in place, catheter...all those fun things.

Without knowing if I was going to get the C-section or not, my Mom had driven up from Lancaster, so she was there through the whole process. It was a blessing to have her there with us. She and Tim prayed for me as I grew more and more nervous. I remembered very little about the prep for my last c-section and the idea of getting the spinal worried me.

They had me walk into the ER and the Anesthesiologist had me get up on the table. Before I knew it and with just a bit of discomfort, he has me laying on the table, with little to no feeling...absolutely no pain!

Suddenly, we were in the thick of it. Tim was by my side. Dr. Hoover (the anesthesiologist) made sure my BP stayed were it needed to, made sure I was comfortable and feeling well. He was funny and took care of Tim, when he got a bit light headed.

Yeah, the light headedness was for good reason. Just as Dr. Long was getting ready to take Elise out, Dr. Hoover told Tim, "she's coming!" So, Tim got up to peek over the curtain. Unbeknown to Dr. Hoover, there was a slight problem. Elise was stuck. Yes, stuck during a C-section. So, instead of Tim seeing Elise come out, all he saw were legs and a belly...and Dr. Long tugging and pulling very hard. Just a bit too much for Tim. :)

Thankfully, they finally got her out and handed her off to the neonatologist immediately to be checked. They didn't even let me see her, since she had been stuck and needed care.

She was born at 3:27 pm, one hour after her original scheduled time!

They started putting me back together, as Tim watched them take care of Elise. I finally got to see her about 10 minutes after she was born. She was (and is) beautiful!!

Off to recovery, where Cheryl continued to take care of me. Tim, Elise and I got some special time there together. This is when I started telling the nurse that I was very dizzy...and the vomiting started.

We got to my regular room and no lie, within 2 minutes my room was filled with family.

Eventually we had to send everyone away, because the dizziness and vomiting continued.

That night, our favorite nurse, Dixie (we had her with Nora too) came in and took care of me for the next 3 nights. She took Elise to the nursery overnight, so that I could get rest and recuperate. Unfortunately, my mind couldn't stop. I didn't sleep all night long. The dizziness and vomiting continued through the night.

By morning, I was so tired and dizzy. Thankfully the vomiting had stopped. The nurse helped me get out of bed and head to the bathroom to take out my catheter. Unfortunately it was too much movement too soon. I passed out. It was NOT a fun experience. I woke to the nurse and Tim IN MY FACE. All I could think of was, "I FINALLY fell asleep and you are waking me up???" Then I realized, I was in the bathroom, not my bed.

The nurse chalked it up to just too much movement too soon. That day, I continued to feel better, but the dizziness didn't go away. Soon, I started having headache's and I could hear my pulse in my ears. The nurse on duty checked with the Midwife about my symptoms and was told that the pulse was due to congestion and water retention.

Saturday night, Dixie came back on duty. I told her I wanted to take a shower and she made that happen. I asked if my IV could come out and she hesitantly asked the Dr. if it was ok. She told me beforehand, "I'm not sure this is the best thing, you may have to get a new one. I wouldn't be surprised if you needed a blood transfusion"

Sunday went by, I was feeling well. The dizziness had disappeared, but the headaches persisted. We spend the day with Elise and watching TV.

Sunday night, Dixie took care of us again. She spent time sitting on my bed talking about her family, telling stories of her teenage years and taking care of Elise. We had a great time with her!!!

I continued to feel better, the incision was healing well and the pain was manageable. I was READY to go home by Easter Sunday. We go the ok from the Neonatoglogist, Elise was ready to go home. But, they told me, not till Monday.

Monday morning we geared up to go home at 11:00. My headache grew excruciating and I had to ask for more pain meds. Then walks in Mary. A new nurse. One we had with Nora as well. She'd been off all weekend, so this was our first time seeing her.

Evidently, Mary went to my Dr. and questioned my blood counts. She thought that I looked anemic and mentioned my dizziness, headaches and pale coloring.

Sure enough, after blood work was done, we found out that my hemoglobin was 6 (it was 11 before the c-section, normal is 12-17) and my hematocrit was 18 (normal for women is 34-44). I had about 1/2 the red blood cells I was supposed to have. Obviously, I was headed for a blood transfusion. They gave me 2 pints of blood.

This put me over the edge. I had been so ready to go home and the idea of more needles, and someone else's blood sent me into an emotional whirl wind. The whole day it was difficult to keep my emotions in check.

We finally got home around 7:00 that night.

...to be continued

Elise Micaela Clark

2009-04-16T15:57:00.002-04:00

Elise Micaela Clark
Friday April 10, 2009 - 3:27 PM
Birth Weight: 7 lb. 2.4 oz Length: 20 inches
Current Weight: 5 lb. 15 oz.

I don't have time for lots of details, but here's some pictures for all our friends and family to see!!

Happy Birthday to my baby girl...

2009-04-05T10:31:00.006-04:00

It's so hard to believe that Nora turned 3 on Saturday!! Her life has been a miracle! God has numerously saved her life, from being told she was going to miscarry, to being in danger of pre term labor, to being born at 32 weeks and then having apnea problems, a scary blue spell and multiple passing out episodes.

God has been her protection.

I am excited to see all that God has planned for her life. She's done really well through all the changes of this past year! We've moved 4 times, 3 of which have been in less than a year. Even though she's been confused at time, she has done well.

Soon, the biggest change yet will occur! She will soon be a big sister!!! She is excited and ready for Elise to be here, but we all know it's going to bring change that she isn't quite prepared for. I know that she will love Elise and I pray that they will be close friends throughout their lives.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of the past 3 years.

Baby Update

2009-04-01T11:26:00.004-04:00

We had our weekly appointment yesterday.

Elise passed the Non Stress Test. It took a while because she decided to fall asleep, but after some snacks the Dr. got what he needed to see.

My BP was 140/88...not great, but not terrible.

We also found out that my C-section isn't scheduled until April 14th!!! I was not anticipating them waiting till I was 40 weeks, but that's when they have me scheduled.

Since the bed rest is working, I have 2 more weeks to go. Obviously if I go into labor, or something else happens, they will go ahead and do the c-section before the 14th.

We have the Biographical Profile on Friday, we'll let you know if anything new happens there!

Baby Update

2009-03-25T15:55:00.004-04:00

36 Weeks & 6 days...

Today we had another OB appointment.

My BP was 150/78. A bit high, Dr. Long wasn't too thrilled. :)

So, they did some more blood work and a Non Stress Test. My blood work came back normal and the Non Stress Test showed that Elise is getting the oxygen she needs! Good news!

We found out in the last week, that high blood pressure can limit the oxygen that Elise recieves. It can also cause limited fetal growth.

Dr. Long decided that he wants to get weekly tests done, so each Tuesday we will go for our normal OB appointment for blood work and a Non Stress Test. Then each Friday, we will go for a "Biological Profile" a specific ultra sound that checks her movement, tone, cord blood flow and resperation.

We also are going to schedule a C-section, since Elise is still breech. We are waiting for a phone call to schedule that! So, unless something else happens beforehand, we should know soon what day Elise is coming!!

I'm pretty tired of being on bed rest, I'm definitely ready for Elise to be here and for life to start getting a bit more normal.

Saturday is our dear friend, Amy's LHC Baby Shower! I'm really hoping to go (Tim and I think it's a good enough reason to break a few rules!). So, if my ultrasound goes well on Friday and my BP looks ok, I'm hoping to go!! It will be a nice break from bed rest and so much fun to see Dan and Amy blessed as they prepare for their first little one!! I can't wait to meet him/her! (selfishly I want Amy to have a girl, so my girls can grow up with a great friend!!) :)

Nora is enjoying the "warmer" weather. She loves being out side, playing on the slide and in the sand box! It's hard to believe that she's going to be 3 next weekend!!! She's getting to be such a big girl!

She's really enjoying her time with Lizzy. She's been very imaginative, playing with her play clothes and dolls. She loves to play "dog". She crawls around barking, looking for someone to pay attention and play with her. She did it for over an hour with me the other day. It was pretty funny!! She's also ready for Elise to be here. She talks about her a lot and puts her babies in Elise's crib or bouncy seat. I think she's going to be a great big sister!

We'll pass on any other new info that we get!

Yet ANOTHER crazy day!

2009-03-20T10:17:00.003-04:00

So, yesterday I was minding my own business on bed rest when I got a call from the OB's office!

They had just recieved some results from my ultrasound on Wednesday and Dr. Manning didn't like something that she saw! They asked me to go to the Birthing Center, ASAP. When I told them it would be in about 1 hour, they say "An hour? You need to get here right away?". Yeah, that put me into panic mode!

Tim was already on his way to Holy Spirit to drop of my 24 hour urine test, so I called him and he came back to get me. Mom, Tim and I headed once again to the Birthing Center.

We got there and they hooked me up to a monitor and had me do a Non Stress Test. Then sent me to Radiology for another Ultrasound. While in the Ultrasound, Dr. Manning stopped in to chat with me.

Here's what happened.

Evidently, when she ordered the Ultra sound on Wednesday, she was only looking to see if Elise was still Breech. However, the Radiologist did a more detailed U/S that gave them information that worried her.

There is a grading system they use for 4 specific areas: Cord Blood Flow, Resperation, Movement, and Tone. They give a 2 (good) or a 0 (bad) for each catagory. So, the highest "grade" you get is 8. Elise only got a 4 on Wednesday. Cord Blood Flow - 2, Resperation - 2, Movement - 0, Tone - 0. They start to worry when the baby gets a 6 or below.

So, they redid the test to check Elise's movements and tone.

She passed with flying colors! She got an 8 out of 8 this time!! What a relief!

They sent me back upstairs and told me everything looked good. So, we waited to see Dr. Stegman to release me.

In his conversation, we talked about how Elise is still breech and what that means. He likes to do "versions", which means manipulating the baby from outside the womb, to get her to move head down. I've heard of this and seen a video of it. It looks HORRIBLE and painful! I also know that you can go through all this and either the baby never turns, or once turned, flips back into the breech posision!!!

3 out of 4 Dr.'s at the practice are willing to do Versions, if the circumstances are right. Dr. Daggs showed up and said she wasn't too comfortable with it, because of my previous C-section. But, Dr. Stegman said that he'd be free to do it Wednesday night if I wanted. Dr. Long doesn't do Versions (that's who my next appointment is with).

We are going to try some excersizes over the weekend to see if we can get her to flip naturally, but then need to decide by Wednesday what we want to do.

I'm feeling very unsure about what is best, to try the Version and attempt a VBAC, or to just go ahead and schedule another c-section.

Prayers would be appreciated!!!

An eventful day!!!

2009-03-18T20:39:00.003-04:00

35 weeks - 6 days

Today was our normal OB appointment. I've been on bedrest for one week.

We got there and of course, they took my blood pressure. :) The nurse said "gosh girl!". It was 152/100...REALLY high.

She made me lay on my left side and said that Dr. Manning would be in soon.

Dr. Manning came in, said "how are you feeling" and "I think it might be time to sell this".

Tim said, "what does that mean?" She said, I want you to go over to the Birthing Center, we'll do blood work, monitor the baby, watch your blood pressure and get an ultrasound to see if Elise is still Breech.

So, Tim, Mom and I headed over.

They hooked me up to the monitor and took my BP. Soon, I headed down to get an Ultra Sound. We had a Radiologist doing the Ultra Sound, so that was really interesting. He showed us much more than any other ultra sound tech. It went well, he said that her lungs are well developed (she was practicing her breathing again) and her cord blood flow was good. He gives a "test" that equals 8, 2 points in 4 catagories. he gave her 2 pts in 2 cataories and 0 pts. in the other 2 catagories. She wasn't moving much, which was his cause for concern.

However, because upstairs they got some really good monitoring, Dr. Manning was not worried.

We found out that she is DEFINITLY still breech. The Radiologist didn't seem to think she was going to move...but you never know!

He also said that she's around 6 lbs, so she's at a good size!! :)

My blood work all came back normal, so Dr. Manning opted to keep Elise inside for as long as possible. We have another appointment on Wednesday, so we'll see what happens then.

I'm still on bed rest (and I think Mom will be on me even more after today!!)

I'm getting pretty restless...ready for Elise to be born and to be able to see her face, hold her and know that we are both safe!!! But, we trust in God's timing!

Modified Bed Rest...

2009-03-11T16:13:00.004-04:00

34 Weeks - 6 Days

Today we had our weekly OB appointment.

My blood pressure was 145/90, but there were NO traces of protien in my urine (which is really good). The midwife went over my blood work from the hospital on Saturday and everything looks good, except that I'm anemic (need more iron).

I've officially been put on "Modified Bedrest", which means that I'm allowed to get up for 5 minutes at a time for things like the bathroom, showers, getting food and going to a different room.

Otherwise, I'm supposed to stay on my side, switching every half hour or so (to reduce the chance of blood clots).

We had a bit of a scare, when the midwife couldn't find Elise's heartbeat! But, found out that was because Elise decided to switch positions her heart was in a different place! They had to get an ultrasound machine to check her, and it turns out that she is BREACH! She was in perfect position for a VBAC two weeks ago and decided to switch on us. I've been given some positions to try and get her to switch back! We really have our hearts set on a VBAC, so we are praying she switches back.

I'm pretty bummed that I'm on bedrest. I know that it's only 5 weeks, but I really wanted to avoid this! I want Elise to be safe and to come at the right time...but this really is a bummer.

Anyway, I'll let you know if there are any other changes! Thanks ahead of time for your prayers!

p.s while doing the ultrasound, the midwife could see Elise "practicing to breath"! She said this was a good sign (this was before she detected a heartbeat) because that means that she's NOT in distress. Baby's who are in distress don't practice breathing. We were able to see her chest rise and fall. It was pretty cool!!!

a little scare

2009-03-09T20:42:00.004-04:00

So, on Friday night, Tim and I headed off to Birthing Class. We decided, since Nora's birth was far from normal and we are planning a VBAC, that it would be helpful to take the class again.

Afterwards on Friday night, I noticed that I had a headache and wasn't feeling so well. I took my blood pressure and it was a little elevated for me.

The next day, we headed off to the rest of Birthing Class. Throughout the day, I took my BP just to keep an eye on it. My hands started swelling and by noon it was around 130\88. By 3:00 it was 156\97.

Needless to say, we were a bit worried. So, I called the answering service at the OB, told them what was going on and since we were at the Hospital, we headed upstairs to the Birthing Center.

They took my BP and it was 147\91. They found traces of protien in my urine and did some bloodwork. At this point, Tim and I were thinking, "here we go again...we're going to have this baby early".

After laying on my left side my blood pressure started going down and went well below my normal BP. My blood work came back all normal. So, they released me!

So, that night, my BP went back up but not as high as it had been earlier. I'm taking it easy, checking it a couple times a day and making sure I keep my feet up. :)

I have an appointment on Wednesday, so we'll see what my OB has to say then.

My BP was normal yesterday...and is a little bit elevated today, but not REALLY high.

Anyway, the baby was monitored while we were in the Hospital and she's doing well. We have about 5 1/2 weeks till her due date...and we are super excited to see her!!

We are praying that God keeps my BP down...and that we both remain healthy. We'd really like to avoid a C-section if at all possible!!!

Snowy Days

2009-03-05T16:25:00.004-05:00

Today I'm officially 34 weeks! Only 6 (maybe less!!!) to go!! Hopefully not more! :) Spring is coming soon...and I'm so ready, not only for the warmer weather, but to see Elise...to go outside and enjoy the warmth and sunshine! It will be nice to head to the park with Nora and just GET out! :)

Here's some pics of Nora playing in the snow a few weeks ago. We got about 12 inches during this weird storm. She loved it!!

Baby Update

2009-03-03T15:56:00.003-05:00

33 Weeks - 5 days

I had another OB appointment today. Everything is looking good. My blood pressure was 112/74...which is GREAT! No swelling, no protiens or sugar in my urine.

Elise is definitely measuring 1 week larger. The Midwife said today, hopefully you'll go a little early!! Otherwise, I'm looking at the possibility of a 9 lb. baby!!! A FAR CRY from Nora's 3 lb. 9 oz.!!! I can't even begin to imagine a 9 lb. baby!

I gained another pound, so we are up to 8 lbs. total pregnancy. At this point, Elise should gain about 1/2 lb. a week.

Other than that, no news!

Mom and Dad have been delayed in Florida due to some electrical problems that Dad's trying to fix. Hopefully, I don't go too early and they aren't here! Mom's supposed to be in the delivery room with us, so hopefully they'll be here in plenty of time. :)

Matthew and Janelle's Wedding Day

2009-02-27T13:50:00.004-05:00

Here's the slide show from Matthew and Janelle's wedding. Being IN the wedding made it hard to get great pictures, but here's what I've got!

Baby Update

2009-02-26T09:04:00.004-05:00

Week 33 - 7 weeks to go!!

Today, I am officially 33 weeks! Which means this baby will be born later than Nora was! YAY!!!

We had an ultrasound and an OB appointment yesterday.

We haven't heard results from the Ultrasound, but we found out that she weighs about 4 lbs. 14 oz. (give or take 11 oz.) No matter what, that's bigger than Nora was!!

Tim noticed on the ultrasound that her size was equivilent to 33 weeks & 5 days (my actualy dates were 32 weeks and 6 days) so it will be interesting to see if they keep my due date the same or push it up.

She is head down, in the perfect position for a normal delivery! We are attempting a VBAC, so that is great news! I'd like to avoid another C-Section if at all possible!

Dr. Long said that everything looks good. My Blood pressure and urine (one of the first ways to see if preeclampsia is occurring, is if there is protein in the urine) both look good. He gave me a list of symptoms to keep an eye out for...swelling of hands and face, flashes of light in my eyes, dark urine etc. But, at this point, we are anticipating a normal delivery!

We are settling into my parents home. I'm starting to go through Nora's baby things. She's loving the idea of Elise being here soon and seeing all the things that Elise will need!!

Mom and Dad are still in Florida (there are electrical problems at the Florida house that Dad's trying to fix before they come home). We aren't sure when they will be home, but Nora asks everyday where they are!!

Janelle and Matthew's Rehearsal

2009-02-24T09:24:00.002-05:00

Here is a slide show from Janelle and Matthew Rehearsal! Sorry it's taken so long!

Updates...

2009-02-19T13:49:00.006-05:00

Life has been BUSY BUSY BUSY!!!

We are still in Lancaster, here's a taste of the past couple days...

Tim's doing my parents daily paper route...

We've watched Cole and Spencer a couple times, which Nora LOVED!!!...

We went out on Valentines Day (the FIRST time we've been able to do that EVER, thanks Denise!)...

Monday - We had Dan and Amy over and took them to El Serrano's for dinner...

Tuesday - We dropped my car off at the Shop, traded cars with Cameron, traded cars with Pop, then We drove to Annville to pick up bunk beds (thanks for the truck Pop!!)

Wednesday - We went BACK Annville to get the mattresses, because we forgot Tim's wallet in all the car switching, made sugar cookies for CG, headed back to Gram and Pops, dropped the truck off, then headed to Harrisburg for Caregroup...

Thursday...Slept in Harrisburg (Wed. night), had a Dr. appointment at 9:10, Lowes, Big Lots, Target...

Back to Lancaster to pick up my car from the shop (SOME ANIMAL nested in my engine and chewed through some wiring which disabled my hazards lights and turn signals!)...

Nora's in bed, Tim's doing the Paper Route

...And now I'm just plain tired!!!

We have also decided to move in with my parents, so we are in the process of making room for Nora in Lizzy's room. We were able to get a bunk bed from Craigslist and a great buy on a mattress for Nora from Big Lots! The Bunk comes apart and can be used as 2 twins, so since we are having another girl...it will work in the future for us too!!

We are hoping to make a few trips on Saturday to start getting our things. I'm really wanting our bed, so hopefully we can pull that off somehow!!

Anyway, as you can see, we are busy! Here are some pics of the kids playing piano! Enjoy!

I Love My Wife

2009-02-12T20:32:00.006-05:00

So,

This is Tim.

I highjacked my wife's blog to let everyone know how much I love this woman. She is simply amazing. I am very glad, grateful and thankful for my wife. I thank God every day for giving her to me, and I thought that this theme was appropriate to show her these things.

Nicoli, I love you very much. I am very glad to actually spend Valentines day with you this year. I cannot wait until Valentines to come. I hope it is as special as I have tried to make it.

I love you.

Tim

Baby Update

2009-02-12T09:36:00.003-05:00

Week 31! Only 9 to go!!

Yesterday we had another Ob appointment. My blood pressure was a few points higher than normal for me, but still in the normal range. Not to get too specific, but my urine was good...no sugars and just a trace of protein. Just to be safe, they sent blood work in to make sure my liver and kidneys are working correctly. The Dr. still needs to look them over, but a nurse called yesterday afternoon to say that my platelets looked good and she expects the Dr. to sign off on the tests as normal! So THAT's good news!

I'm not dilated or effaced at this point...more good news!

The Dr. decided that she wants to see me weekly now. When I got preeclampsia with Nora it all happened quickly over one weekend. Therefore, she doesn't want to take any chances again of that happening, so weekly check ups.

I'm still measuring larger than my due date indicates, so I'm scheduled for another ultrasound on the 26th. They will compare it with the ultrasound from before (which will be six weeks apart). I'm wondering if they think my due date is wrong?!?! I'm OK with having her a little early! :)

Elise's heart rate was 140 bpm, which is normal. She's been moving A LOT...making me uncomfortable at times. I've been having Braxton Hicks...which is interesting. I didn't have any with Nora.

Next Thursday starts the week to beat Nora's arrival!! She came at 32 weeks, so we are praying that Elise stays where she is longer than that!

We are getting excited...nervous...ready for Elise's arrival! I'm going to go get our clothes from the storage unit this weekend and see what I have in Newborn size! Hopefully I have enough WARM clothes. Nora didn't really start wearing that size till summer, so we'll see! :)

Janelle's Bachelorette Dinner

2009-02-11T14:32:00.006-05:00

On Thursday before Matthew and Janelle's Wedding, we took Janelle out to dinner.
Two of our cousins flew in from Columbus and we all headed to Baltimore to a Tapas restaurant called Pazo. We had a great time and some great food! Here are the pics from that night.

Denise, Mom, Kim, Ashley
Nicoli, Janelle and Brooke at Pazo

The Bride to Be

Sisters!

Mom and Denise

More Sisters, Kim and Mom

Janelle, Brooke and Ashley (both sisters and bridesmaids!)

Sisters again! Denise, Nicoli and Janelle

We are in Lancaster

2009-02-03T13:02:00.001-05:00

While my parents are in Florida for the month of February, we are staying at their home! It's nice to have a bit of our own place again. We truly miss having our own home and are praying that God moves mightily to bring us to that place again soon!

While we are here, we'll be doing my parents paper route, which went well yesterday! (It was our first attempt alone!)

I have lots of pictures from Matthew and Janelle's wedding, once I go through them all, I'll post a slide show!

Matthew and Janelle safely arrived in St. Lucia yesterday. Poor Matthew got the stomach bug that's been going around on Sunday night, so it sounds like travel was NOT a fun thing. Thankfully it sounds like he's feeling much better! They are staying in a Villa that sounds amazing and of course St. Lucia is beautiful! We can't wait to see pictures!

Baby Update

2009-01-28T13:09:00.003-05:00

29 Weeks (Tomorrow!)

So, we are finally in the home stretch! It's hard to believe it's only 11 weeks away! (Or sooner!)

We went to the Doctors today and everything looks normal! YAY! No exciting news is good news.

Her heart rate was 147...and all measurements are normal.

My Blood Pressure was 124/80 which is still good and I gained 3 pounds. (for a total of 4 lbs.)

Now onto Janelle's wedding this weekend...

It's a busy week!

2009-01-27T14:05:00.003-05:00

This week is Janelle's wedding, so there is a lot going on!! She and Matthew are moving there things into their new house, finish all the last minute details and trying to stay sane!!

But, I haven't blogged for a while, so I thought I'd leave you with a recipe I recently used. Tim and I really enjoyed it and have put it in our "Favorites" catagory!

Enjoy!

Marinated Salmon Seared in a Pepper Crust

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used reduced Sodium Soy Sauce)
1 garlic clove, pressed in a garlic press or minced and mashed to a paste
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (I added a little extra lemon, because we like lemon on fish)
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and halved
4 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper (I cut the pepper in 1/2, but would like to try it with all 4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

In a sealable plastic bag combine well the soy sauce, the garlic, the lemon juice, and the sugar, add the salmon, coating it well, and let it marinate, sealed and chilled, for 30 minutes. Remove the salmon from the bag, discarding the marinade, pat it dry, and press 2 teaspoons of the pepper onto each piece of salmon, coating it thoroughly. In a heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it saute the salmon for 2 minutes on each side, or until it just flakes.

Transfer the salmon with a slotted spatula to paper towels and let it drain for 30 seconds.

I served it with Rice and Green Beans. We all loved it very much!! Nora ate almost a WHOLE PIECE of Salmon!

PA Farm Show 2009

2009-01-21T10:28:00.004-05:00

Last week was a BUSY week for us!!! :)

On Monday, we headed to the PA Farm Show with our dear friends Dan & Amy. As always, we had so much fun! :) We love being with them!

On Tuesday night, I headed off to the Ladies Meeting at Church and Tim stayed home with Nora. Well, around 9:00 Nora started vomitting and before the night was over she had thrown up over 25 times!!!! It was a MISERABLE night for all involved!!!

Wednesday night, Tim ended up in the bathroom all night. He actually slept on the bathroom floor for most of it. I felt so helpless for him!!!

Thursday, we were scheduled to head off to the Marriage and the Mercy of God conference (you can dowload the amazing messages for free)...

Thankfully, Tim was feeling a little bit better. So, we headed to Lancaster to drop Nora off at my parents, then over to Hershey for the Conference. Tim made it through the meeting, but barely!!

Thankfully, when we woke up the next morning, he was doing MUCH BETTER! So, we headed off to Hershey for the 2nd session.

We heard amazing teaching on Mercy in our marriages...it was a very challenging day, but a good day. We had lunch with Dan and Amy, which allowed us to share some of the areas that God was getting at in our hearts.

Friday night we were able to spend at Hershey Lodge...it made for a relaxing afternoon and night. I LOVED the bed!!!!! It made my pregnant body feel so comfortable...I slept great!

Saturday we ended the conference in the early afternoon, headed off to lunch with some friends and spent the rest of the day together (just the two of us).

On Sunday, after church we headed to my parents for the football games and to see our little girl!!!

GO STEELERS!!!!!!

We ended up staying at my parents until yesterday evening. It was great to spend time down there. We always enjoy their hospitality!!

Here's a slideshow of the Farm Show!

An Elise Update

2009-01-13T13:28:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we had another Ultrasound to see how big Elise is.

I was measuring larger than my dates indicate, so the Doctor wanted to make sure that Elise wasn't too big.

We haven't heard from the Dr. Office yet, but the technician said that she is measuring about 1/2 week larger than normal. I doubt that is much to be concerned about.

However, they will take her 20 week ultrasound and compare it to this 26 week ultrasound to determine her growth rate. Then, they can see if she's growing or gaining weight too quickly.

Her heart rate was 146 bpm which is the slowest we've heard so far. But, we think she'd been sleeping.

She weighs about 2 lb. 3 oz. Which is hard to believe, because Nora was born at 3 lb. 9 oz. and we still have 13 weeks left!

Here's a few pics from yesterday.

Profile. She was opening and closing her mouth when the tech was taking this picture.

Her Foot

Re-confirmation that it's definitely a girl!

Baby Update

2009-01-06T18:46:00.015-05:00

25 Week & 5 days...

Today I had another OB appointment. I had some concerns over the weekend, so the timing was perfect! :)

Here's what we found out...

...Elise's heartrate was 166 bpm

...I gained 1 lb. this past month, which brings my total weight gain to...1 Lb!

...I'm measuring larger than the dates indicate, so we are going in for an ultrasound on monday to confirm the size of Elise. I've been feeling like she's bigger than Nora was, just from her movements and such. She can REALLY sock a punch!!

...I started itching again on Sunday, so they are checking my liver again. It will take about 10 days to find out those results. They are expecting negative results again, but are double checking since the itching has come back.

...I'm 25% effaced, but the Dr. isn't concerned about it. (I don't know if that's normal or not!!)

...On Thursday I have the normal Glucose test done...so I get to drink an AWEFUL sugar drink...yay.

The Dr. will see me in 3 weeks and then every 2 weeks after that!

If we get some more pictures on Monday, I'll post them as well as an update on her size.

I think that's it!

The Gingerbread House

2009-01-05T11:05:00.003-05:00

Rachel and Abby made a gingerbread house with Nora this Christmas! Here's the pictures of the process! Nora loved it!

Christmas at Gram & Pops

2008-12-28T20:40:00.006-05:00

Here's a slideshow of our Teaman Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T23:48:00.005-05:00

We want to wish all our friends and family a Merry Christmas! We treasure each of you and all that you add to our lives.

May this new year be full of God's blessings, joy and peace!

Pictures from Thanksgiving

2008-12-17T11:35:00.006-05:00

Sean and Kim...great face Sean

Nora, Cole and Spencer playing the Elefun game

Nora & Vinny...she loved playing with him!

Closeup of Sean and Mom

Dad showing off his missing tooth! We had some teeth issues this Thankgiving!!!

Getting the food ready

Elise Micaela

2008-12-06T10:48:00.003-05:00

Elise - Soft Mannered (French, English)

Micaela - God-loving (Hebrew)

Here are some pictures of our little Elise Micaela!

Here's her nose & lips!

Left Foot

It's a girl!

She kept crossing her legs, during the ultrasound. Funny, because Nora does that frequently!

After MUCH effort on the Tech's part, she finally let us get a profile pic! She was moving very much, but never the way the tech needed!!!

Today is the first day...

2008-12-05T16:02:00.002-05:00

...in 16 weeks that I don't have to get my injections!!!! No waiting in the Dr. Office, no painful injections!!!

I just hope that stopping them, causes the itching to go away.

So far, no cigar.

Baby Update...or rather Mommy update!!

2008-12-03T13:52:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks I've had a TERRIBLE itching problem. It started out mild, but by last weekend, it became unbearable. All over itching made in nearly impossible to sleep at night...which made everything worse!!!

We had an OB appointment today and here's what Dr. Manning decided...

1st - yesterday I had blood work to check the Bile Salts/Liver excretions. That will take another 5-7 days to get those results back. IF it is Cholestasis, there is little they can do for me. They are doing research, but don't think there is any medications that are approved for pregnancy!! If that turns out to be the case, it's going to be a LONG 20 ITCHY weeks till this baby girl comes!!!

2nd - they have decided to take me off the progesterone injections, in case I'm having an allergic reaction to them. Basically, my body has such a build up of the progesterone oil, that my body may have begun to reject it. It's most likely the sesame oil the progesterone is in, not the progesterone itself.

Next week I'll get my progesterone levels checked, to make sure they are still at a safe level. This is all a bit unerving as the Dr.'s have been so sure I need the progesterone!!! But, Dr. Manning said that the baby's heartrate is strong, her ultrasound came back normal and even though the levels are low...they ARE moving up, albeit slowly.

My weight, measurments, blood pressure and amniotic fluid are all normal. So, everything looks good, beyond the lack of sleep due to the annoying itching problem! :)

And the results are...

2008-11-28T12:58:00.002-05:00

We are having a baby GIRL!!!

The ultrasound went well, although baby girl wasn't being very cooperative! She kept crossing her legs and wouldn't turn so that we could get a picture of her spine. :) BUT we got it. :)

We are excited to have another little girl and are pretty sure we have a name picked out, but that's for another time. :)

I'll post the pics soon.

We are excited!

2008-11-24T09:49:00.002-05:00

Only 4 days till we find out if new baby Clark is a boy or a girl!!!!

We are so excited to find out this news and to begin dreaming about what this little girl or boy will be like!! :)

Don't forget to vote!

The First Snow

2008-11-22T09:44:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures of Nora playing in the snow! Of course, she loved it!

(Thanks to Daddy for taking the pictures!)

Aunt Janelle Jinxed us!

2008-11-18T20:24:00.003-05:00

So, on Sunday, Aunt Janelle made a comment about Nora's fainting spells. She mentioned that maybe Nora had grown out of them.

Not 2 hours later, Nora fell down the stairs and of course, PASSED OUT! :)

This evening, she hurt the side of her face...and PASSED OUT!

So, I guess Janelle was wrong...she hasn't grown out of it. :(

Our Time Away

2008-11-15T13:02:00.014-05:00

For our 4th Anniversary, Tim and I got away to Spring Lake, NJ. We've been there once before and really enjoyed it!

We stay at The Chateau Inn when we go. During the off season months, they have some reasonable rates and the rooms are very nice and very clean. (A MUST for me)

Spring Lake is a little beachside town, with beautiful homes (more mansions than homes), wonderful restaraunts, picturesque parks and lakes. We love it there! You can catch a train to NY (we have yet to do this, but intend to one of these trips), visit nearby Red Bank for shopping, antiquing and dining as well.

Anyway, it rained most of the time we were there, so we don't have many pictures of the area. So, here's what we have. :) I reccomend this place to EVERYONE!

View from our porch

Our squirrel that was causing QUITE the racket!

A picture by the fire after our dinner at Whispers

We had a fire every night!

The bathroom, with a huge bathtub! I took a bubble bath EVERY night. :)

Our room

I guess I should have turned off the TV! :)

Just before heading out after a great time!

Polling...

2008-11-12T21:31:00.001-05:00

So, this is my first time using the "Poll" option on my blog. It is very frusterating, because it doesn't tell me WHO is voting!!!! :)

If you voted, please leave a comment. :)

Thanks,

Nic

Baby Update

2008-11-08T15:29:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we had another OB appointment. Here are the highlights...it was a short visit. :)

1. We are getting the higher dosage of Progesterone till the 18th, then depending on my levels, we may add another form of progesterone.

2. On the 18th I'm getting a full blood work-up done. I don't know what it's all for, except that it has to do with my health history for Nora's pregnancy. I think they called it a Metabolic something bloodwork.

3. At that time, I will also have to do a 24 hour urine, to check my protien levels. (That is one of the first signs of preeclampsia.)

4. I am officially a "high risk" pregnancy. Basically for now, that only means that I'm only allowed to see Doctors (no midwives or nurse practitioners) for my appointments. They will also be seeing me more often than normal pregnancies.

5. I lost a few more pounds, but the Dr. isn't concerned at this point. I just haven't been able to keep everything down still. Sometimes it's hard to eat.

6. The Baby's heartrate was a strong 150 bpm! That's nice and strong. (Wivestales would say that it's a girl!)

7. Which bring us to the last bit of business. On Black Friday we have a 9:00 AM ultrasound to check all the babies parts...and to find out the sex of the baby!!! :) We are excited about that... and plan to take Nora so she can "see" the baby!!!!

Thank you for your many prayers, we'll keep you updated with any changes!

Discouraging News

2008-11-05T15:38:00.003-05:00

Tim and I are away for our anniversary! We are having a great time relaxing and being together, despite the rain. :)

This morning I got a phone call from my OB's office. My progesteron levels have only gone up 1 point in the past two weeks.

This is VERY dissapointing news for me. They are going to up my dosage to the maximum again. I was hoping I was almost done with this, only to find out that no end is near.

More injections...more uncertainty.

Why can't I just have a "normal" pregnancy!?!?!?!?

We have an OB appointment on Friday, so hopefully I'll learn more from that. Hopefully we'll hear the baby's heartbeat again.

Please pray for the protection of our little one. I know that God can choose (and has already) to sustain the life of this child, no matter what my progesteron levels are.

Please pray against discouragement for me. I'm still sick (even while we are away) and that on top of this topsy turvy pregnancy, it's easy for me to be discouraged.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T20:13:00.006-04:00

We took the kids to Gram and Pops for some trick or treating! The kids loved dressing up and walked around the neighborhood for a good 1 1/2 hours! They loved it! :) Here's a few pictures I was able to get.

My Raggedy Ann

How CUTE!!!!!

Here is Spencer...uhm I mean Buzz Lightyear!

Nora and Spencer waiting for Cole to make his appearance!!

Cole & Spencer

(When Cameron would ask them "who are you" they would both say, "I'm Cole Paxton Teaman!" and "I'm Spencer!") I guess they get that a lot!

Picture time before heading out...

They are READY to go!!!!

Poppy with the boys

Baby Update

2008-10-28T14:27:00.004-04:00

Here's the latest Baby news...

15 Weeks and 5 days along...

Last week we found out that my progesterone levels rose 7 points!!! This is VERY exciting and the largest jump I've had so far.

We are anticipating that it means my placenta has finally started producing it's own progesterone.

The Dr's reduced my Progesterone Injections in half, so I'm only getting 100 mg, twice a week! This is GREAT news! :)

Next week they will check my levels again, and hopefully we'll continue to see them rise! I also have an OB appointment next week, so hopefully we'll hear the heartbeat again and schedule the 20 week ultrasound!!!! :)

Thanks for your prayers!

Tim and Nic

Our Day at Lake Tobias!

2008-10-22T10:42:00.005-04:00

We had a GREAT day seeing lots of animals and spending time outside.

Here's a slideshow of all our pictures. I warn you, it's long!

OBX - Monday

2008-10-13T09:21:00.005-04:00

Nora still not wanting anything to do with the water...

Running from the water...

Tyler loving it!

Amber and Jim running from the waves...

Nora feeling safe, back by the blankets...

Nora playing...our house is right behind her...

A view from the beach...

Daddy chasing Nora...

Kim and Amber...

Jim and Caila

Baby Update

2008-10-09T09:44:00.003-04:00

13 Weeks Pregnant - Due date April 16th, 2009

Yesterday we had another Dr. appointment.

We found out that my progesteron levels are at 17.9 which means they have only gone up 7 points in the past 8 weeks after getting 400 mg of progesterone a week. I should be in the upper 40's by now.

The Dr. doesn't seem worried, because there is a strong heartbeat. That is what is important.

One curious thing we found out yesterday is that low progesterone levels can cause pre-term labor AND preeclampsyia...which may explain my problems with Nora!

During the weeks of 12-14, the placenta is supposed to start taking over and producing the progesterone. So, please pray that will happen!!!!

Also, they have started me on a combo of baby asprin, Vitamin B12, Vitabin B6 and Folic Acid. Evidently there is new research that this combo may keep blood pressure down during pregnancy. So, they are having me take this, in hopes that it prevents Preeclamsia again. I have a 50% chance it could happen again.

We have another appointment in 4 weeks. And will continue getting Progesterone Injections twice a week. We'll have another level check in 2 weeks.

Ways to pray...

That my placenta starts taking over and producing the progesterone that I need...

That my blood pressure remains normal...

That pre-term labor does not occur...

That Tim and I have faith that God is in control of the pregnancy and this little baby and no matter what problems may occur, God has the best in store for us.

OBX Vacation - Sunday

2008-10-07T18:36:00.004-04:00

Nora playing in the sand...she didn't want anything to do with the water!!

Beautiful Waves

Tim enjoying the warm water!

More sand...she's concentrating so hard!

Everyone enjoying the water

Kirk and Amanda enjoying some fondue!

Caila and Nora being "babies" on Ethan's blanket

More Fondue...

MMM...

Please Pray for Pop

2008-10-06T14:59:00.002-04:00

A little over a week ago, we found out that Pop (my grandpa on Dad's side) was diagnosed with Leukemia. He has fought and beat cancer once before (in the past few years) but this is a new cancer. The doctor's have given him little hope to beat the Leukemia.

Please pray for Pop as he walks through this...as he makes decisions about his time left.

Please pray that whatever time he has here would be PAIN FREE and that his days would be full of joy.

Please pray for the family and the overwhelming idea of living without Pop. He's such a joy and bright light to our family, it's hard to imagine life without him.

Please pray for Gram. Pray for peace. Pray for grace in making decisions and give them days of joy and blessing.

Hershey Park

2008-09-24T10:54:00.006-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend, all the Teamans (minus Janelle and Matthew) headed to Hershey Park with out of town family! :) Kim, Tom, Brooke and Kyle all came to Hershey. We had a great time. :) Here's a slideshow of our pictures...

Goodbye Old Hershey Road

2008-09-16T16:36:00.003-04:00

Even though our time here was short, it truly felt like home.

We spent so much time painting and working on things before we moved in. We finally had color in our home!! We were expecting to stay for a few years, but after only 2 months, God changed our plans.

We will miss this home and the memories we've had...

Family July 4th Party, rain, wings and fun!

Campfires, S'mores and Mountain Pies with Dan and Amy, Janelle and Matt, the Noss's and the Kreps!

Starry Nights

Game nights with the Eckels

Beautiful Sunsets through the front window

Constant fresh Breeze blowing through the house

Skunks and Hawks!!! (and other wildlife!)

Waking up to a SMOKY house after using the fireplace!!! :)

And just enjoying the space in our new home...

Our First Night

2008-09-15T20:17:00.003-04:00

Tonight my family is sleeping in our new "home". We are in Tim's parents basement till God provides another home for us.

Tim did a great job, painting, carpeting, tiling and getting this space ready for us. But it will present many challenges.

Right now, Nora is crying because she doesn't want us in the room while she goes to sleep. I think the most challenging thing, is that we are all in one room.

We were very sad today, as we moved things over. We know God has a plan for us, but it's so hard to see the big picture in the midst of all this.

I'll get some pictures of our place on once we are settled. :)

A Sad Day

2008-09-12T12:56:00.003-04:00

Today I start packing.

I should have started weeks ago, but I've been too sick to do much of anything. Two dear friends are coming to help me get started.

I'm feeling very emotional at having to pack up everything that I had just found a home for.

I'm sad to be leaving our home.

Elizabethtown Fair

2008-09-10T19:41:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, we were able to go to the E-Town Fair! Most of our time was spent in the petting zoo and in the milkshake line! Nora loved them both!! :) Here are some pictures of the afternoon.

A Short Baby Update

2008-09-03T18:58:00.002-04:00

Today I got the results of my bloodwork. It isn't great news, but it's not terrible news either.

My progesterone levels are 14.4 which puts me in the bottom of "Level 2". I should be in the middle of "Level 2". Whatever that means!!! So, I will continue going twice a week for 200mg of progesterone oil.

Depending on the situation, I may have to teach Tim how to do it, because we are going on Vacation at the end of the month!! THAT could prove to be a challenge. :(

Anyway, other than that news and my all day sickness things are going well. We are keeping busy getting the Clarks basement ready for us to move in.

Tim was knocking down a closet and is putting up a bit of drywall before we paint and recarpet. It's a lot more work than I thought we were going to do, but it will be well worth it in the end. :)

I'll have pictures up of our progress soon!

Baby Update

2008-08-26T20:17:00.004-04:00

So, today started with a bang!!! My "Morning Sickness", which is really ALL DAY sickness has reached to the vomiting stage. :( It happened in the morning and then again in the car. My Doctors told me that my gall bladder caused such horrible "morning sickness", but obviously, they were wrong. (For those of you that don't know, my gall bladder was taken out 8 weeks after Nora was born).

We walked into the Imaging Center (I was rather green) and I was able to keep it together for the ultrasound. I wasn't sure I was going to make it.

Finally, we got to see the baby's heartbeat! It's still so little, but it's heartbeat was 117 bpm!! It's so amazing to me that they can record a heartbeat when the baby is so little.

I'm 6 weeks and 5 days, which is on target with what they thought last week. So, things are looking good for an April 16th due date!

P.S Sorry I haven't been posting as much, we've been at my In-Laws helping get the basement ready for us to move in. The move in date is somewhere in the middle of September and there is MUCH to do!!!

It feels like more than I can handle...

2008-08-20T12:54:00.002-04:00

So, yesterday was an emotional day.

We found out that I'm 5 weeks and 5 days pregnant! We are excited and so thankful that we were able to get pregnant again and thus far, God has sustained the life of our little one. I am currently recieving Progesterone Injections twice a week, to help sustain the life of the baby and to prepair my uterus for pregnancy. The ultrasound yesterday told us how old the baby was, but it was too young to detect a heartbeat. However the technician was able to see a fluttering of the heart, which is a good sign. Next Tuesday we have another ultrasound to see the heartbeat.

At around 6:30 last night, we found out that Tim lost his job. After 9 1/2 years with Staples, they have fired him.

We are at a loss.

Life as we know it, will be changing. We can not live in our new home. We have to find a new place to go. We don't know what Tim will get for unemployment, we don't have health insurance for this pregnancy. We just don't know what to do.

Please pray that God would sustain us. That we would be able to keep our eyes on Christ and the cross. That we would sense his direction. That he would give us peace.

Ruhl Update

2008-08-17T19:21:00.003-04:00

Chris and Laura will be at CHOP (Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia) tomorrow for multiple tests and to see some specialists.

My limited understanding is that the mass may be too big and they may need to operate in utero.

Please pray for healing, peace and wisdom in this area!!! That they would leave CHOP with a better understanding of the situation and that God would lead them in their decision making.

Please Pray for Baby Boy Ruhl...

2008-08-14T15:50:00.004-04:00

We recieved a letter from our church, regarding some dear friends. Laura (she sang in my wedding) is 20 weeks pregnant, and when she went for her ultrasound, they found a mass in/near the baby's heart. It's too much for me to explain, so I'm going to paste the email on here.

Please pray for Chris, Laura and little baby boy Ruhl.

Chris & Laura Ruhl

Laura went for her 20 week ultrasound yesterday and we found out we're having a little baby boy! We were very excited, but when we realized that we were there for more than 1 1/2 hours, we were beginning to feel a little nervous that something was wrong. The nurse told us she needed to ask the doctor something about what she had seen on the ultrasound and right away we knew something wasn't right. They told us there was a large mass tumor on the babies left lung and that the heart was being pushed to the right side. That is about all they said, because they didn't want to give us false hope or unnecessary grim news. They then referred us to Maternal Fetal Medicine which deals with high risk pregnancies.

On the way to the appointment Laura and I prayed over and over again that the baby would be fine and this would have been some technical glitch.

Laura had another ultrasound done at the clinic and unfortunately they noticed the same mass in the left lung. They then took us into their conference room where they explained that this mass could be one of three things. The first being Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation (CCAM). This also has three stages. The second is bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS). And lastly, the third is a hybrid between the two. These conditions are not cancerous just so everyone knows, but normally does require surgery when the baby's born to remove what's left of the mass. I will provide a link for all three, to spare me from writing a lengthy description and possible misinformation.

http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/division/generic.jsp

The most crucial thing we were told, was they the baby could develop what is called hydrops. This is when the baby's heart is in distress and unwanted fluid develops around his organs. Also, when hydrops occurs it can run the risk of the mother mirroring the baby's symptoms and developing preeclampsia. If hydrops does occur, there is a greater chance that the baby will not make it.

If everyone could pray for our anxiety to be low and our eyes focused on Jesus, we would be so grateful. Also, could you pray that the baby would not develop hydrops and that the left lung tissue would start to grow as normal lung tissue. We were told that with these three conditions the survival rate is good and that the baby could go on to lead a normal life as long as enough good lung tissue develops.

Laura and I have already seen God's grace in those he has put us in contact with at the various clinics. Also, this news has immediately brought us to prayer and reminds us of our dependency on Him. We are grateful for Jesus' blood and the grace that surpasses all understanding.

Thank you LHC we love you all,

Laura and Chris Ruhl

Memory Lane Monday - Family

2008-08-11T21:20:00.002-04:00

Here's one of my favorite pictures of our family in it's early stages!!! I don't even know how old Sean & I are, but if I had to guess, I'd say I was around 4 and Sean around 6. I do know it was taken while we lived in Narvon, by Cheryl Landis. She was our babysitter and lived with us for a while. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Worship God 08

2008-08-07T19:39:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures from the Worship God 08 Conference. Thanks to my generous church family, I was able to go at very minimal cost!!!

It was a great time of practical teaching (I went to some sound tech seminars) but also great spiritual training. The whole conference was based on Psalms and we heard many great messages and sang many great songs to remind us of God's amazing grace!

Enjoy the Slideshow!

Nora playing in the rain!!!

2008-08-06T12:03:00.003-04:00

a little change

2008-07-11T11:46:00.003-04:00

We have moved! Check us out at clarklife.wordpress.com

Flowers

2008-07-05T12:51:00.003-04:00

At our new home, there is a front flowerbed with LOTS of perennials! Here are some pictures of the beautiful flowers!

Today, I saw a hummingbird, but by the time I grabbed the camera, it was gone. So, I'll try and catch it another time and post it! :)

Another fainting episode...

2008-07-02T17:00:00.003-04:00

Last night, Nora passed out again.

It's been about 6 months since she's had any "episodes", but last night she was very upset and she once again stopped breathing and passed out. This was probably the longest episode she's had.

Her lips turned blue.

She was making a noise, which sounded like grinding teeth, but Tim was able to get his finger in between her teeth, so we aren't sure what the noise was.

She took a VERY LONG time waking up. She would open her eyes, but not focus on us, then close them again, then open and again wouldn't focus. She started rambling nonsense, while she was in and out.

She was all sweaty and tired when it all ended.

We obviously were scared and unsure what to do. Whenever we talk to the doctors, they say it's a "breath holding spell" and that it is normal in some children.

It doesn't feel normal to us.

For me, it was very reminiscent of my experience with my sister in law having a seizure. It really looked like that, but Nora wasn't moving.

Please pray that whatever this is, God would remove it from Nora's little body.

Nora enjoying her Popsicle at the LHC Land Open House