Everything is looking good! Praise God for the ability to be able to say that. I had my regular check-up with the midwife today. Can I just say how much I LOVE the midwives!?!?!? Erica was such a calming influence after such a stressful month. She agreed with us that a repeat ultrasound so quickly after the first one was probably not going to be very helpful. It would be better to wait until Baby Boo was a little bigger that way we could see if the cyst on the brain (not really a concern, but present) had resolved itself and there would be a better opportunity to get some pictures that were unclear at 18 weeks (apparently the health of the toes were undetermined, most likely because Baby Boo wouldn't like the tech take a good picture). So, my Monday ultrasound has been cancelled and a repeat level 2 will be scheduled in about 4 weeks.
Baby Boo wanted to make sure I knew he/she was ok. The baby was moving like crazy this morning. Now I'm starting to feel the movement that has been so obvious on the ultrasounds. It was kind of funny, the baby settled down for nap at the same as Hannah. Is there hope for same nap times after the baby is born? I won't hold my breath!
Here is another clip of Hannah. This was again taken after Levi's birthday party. As you see, the cake was coursing through her veins!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thanking God for a Healthy Heart
We so appreciate the love and prayers that have been sent our way over the last 2 weeks by blog comments, email, facebook, phone calls and cards. The first week after we heard the news of the possible hole in our baby's heart was tough. Last week was better, largely due to the prayers of our family and friends. In fact, I even got a decent night's sleep last night!
The appointment was this morning. Here is the email that many of you received already...
Thank you so much for your love and prayers over the last 2 weeks. We had the echo cardiogram this morning at 9:00 and saw the pediatric cardiac specialist. One of his first questions to us was... “why were you sent to us?” They examined the baby’s heart and found a perfectly healthy heart (and a very active baby!) He said that he always has to caveat that with... There is a POSSIBILITY of a tiny (millimeter sized) hole that they are unable to pick-up by ultrasound, however a hole like that would close on its own. I asked if we needed to mention this possibility to the baby’s pediatrician. He said, “no, why worry about it.” So I guess we stop worrying about it! The other blessing is that we were able to move the follow-up ultrasound (which we are not sure why we need it) back out to Beverly which is a 15 minute drive instead of an hour+ in traffic. I will also have my regular check-up with my mid-wife before that ultrasound, so I can get some clarity from her as to whether or not it is needed at this point. Thank you Lord! So, again, your prayers have blessed us over and over again. We are thanking God for His mercy to us and in our baby’s life. Love, Dana, Daryl, Hannah and baby Olson
For your enjoyment... Hannah high on sugar from the yummy cake at Levi's birthday on Saturday.
The appointment was this morning. Here is the email that many of you received already...
Thank you so much for your love and prayers over the last 2 weeks. We had the echo cardiogram this morning at 9:00 and saw the pediatric cardiac specialist. One of his first questions to us was... “why were you sent to us?” They examined the baby’s heart and found a perfectly healthy heart (and a very active baby!) He said that he always has to caveat that with... There is a POSSIBILITY of a tiny (millimeter sized) hole that they are unable to pick-up by ultrasound, however a hole like that would close on its own. I asked if we needed to mention this possibility to the baby’s pediatrician. He said, “no, why worry about it.” So I guess we stop worrying about it! The other blessing is that we were able to move the follow-up ultrasound (which we are not sure why we need it) back out to Beverly which is a 15 minute drive instead of an hour+ in traffic. I will also have my regular check-up with my mid-wife before that ultrasound, so I can get some clarity from her as to whether or not it is needed at this point. Thank you Lord! So, again, your prayers have blessed us over and over again. We are thanking God for His mercy to us and in our baby’s life. Love, Dana, Daryl, Hannah and baby Olson
For your enjoyment... Hannah high on sugar from the yummy cake at Levi's birthday on Saturday.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Our cutie
My daughter makes me smile so much. She is also a big fan of condiments... ketchup, mayo, bacon bits, soy sauce, salad dressing... just about anything that she sees her daddy or I putting on our food. She has earned the nickname "Condiment Queen" from her daddy. The other day she was begging for more of whatever condiment we had on the table. Daryl gives her some and remarks how much she loves the condiments. To which Hannah replied in a singsong voice, "Condiment Queen!" We had to laugh, which earned another "Condiment Queen" from Hannah.
Today Hannah had a buddy to plan with... Levi came over for the day. It was readily apparent that this little guy or gal, growing in mommy is going to have a bossy big sister. Poor Levi experienced it today, but with his good natured attitude, took it all in stride. "Stand up, Lee lie, stand up!" "No, Lee lie, no, Hannah's turn!" "Chase, Lee lie, chase!" It was actually kind of cute. Of course I am the older sister and never had to experience the bossy older sibling.
A picture taken at Gordon-Conwell's inauguration of President Hollinger by one of Daryl's colleagues... what a cutie, if you will indulge a mommy saying so!
Yes, it is about time for another haircut!
Today Hannah had a buddy to plan with... Levi came over for the day. It was readily apparent that this little guy or gal, growing in mommy is going to have a bossy big sister. Poor Levi experienced it today, but with his good natured attitude, took it all in stride. "Stand up, Lee lie, stand up!" "No, Lee lie, no, Hannah's turn!" "Chase, Lee lie, chase!" It was actually kind of cute. Of course I am the older sister and never had to experience the bossy older sibling.
A picture taken at Gordon-Conwell's inauguration of President Hollinger by one of Daryl's colleagues... what a cutie, if you will indulge a mommy saying so!
Yes, it is about time for another haircut!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Update on Baby Boo
I'm not really sure how "Baby Boo" became the nickname, all I know is that Hannah laughed when I was saying it to her. Something about that little girl's laughter... I would do just about anything to hear it over and over again!
Well, another ultrasound and another request for prayer... it is a little different in that the first ultrasound brought us comfort (at 11 weeks) and this ultrasound is making us concerned (at 18 weeks). On Monday we went for our level 2 ultrasound and for a number of reasons, it was a really tough afternoon. Bottom line, the perinatologist is concerned that our baby may have a hole in his/her heart between the left and right ventricles. If this is true, there is also a possibility that this is a marker for Down's Syndrome, although my blood work has revealed that right now that possibility is small.
So, we ask for your prayers for Baby Boo for healing, if needed. We also ask for grace and wisdom to make good decisions in light of more information. I will have a fetal echocardiogram and another ultrasound in Boston in 2 weeks. We will need to know at that time if we will want more tests, especially an amniocentesis.
Hannah loves looking at pictures of her little brother or sister. She truly has been our ray of sunshine and joy in the midst of a difficult week for us and for some close friends of ours.
Well, another ultrasound and another request for prayer... it is a little different in that the first ultrasound brought us comfort (at 11 weeks) and this ultrasound is making us concerned (at 18 weeks). On Monday we went for our level 2 ultrasound and for a number of reasons, it was a really tough afternoon. Bottom line, the perinatologist is concerned that our baby may have a hole in his/her heart between the left and right ventricles. If this is true, there is also a possibility that this is a marker for Down's Syndrome, although my blood work has revealed that right now that possibility is small.
So, we ask for your prayers for Baby Boo for healing, if needed. We also ask for grace and wisdom to make good decisions in light of more information. I will have a fetal echocardiogram and another ultrasound in Boston in 2 weeks. We will need to know at that time if we will want more tests, especially an amniocentesis.
Hannah loves looking at pictures of her little brother or sister. She truly has been our ray of sunshine and joy in the midst of a difficult week for us and for some close friends of ours.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
To Atlanta and Back Again
Well... perhaps it wasn't EXACTLY what we were hoping for, but we still had a wonderful time! Back in the fall, Daryl and I began planning a trip that would get us out of our winter blahs and into some sunshine. We originally thought we would get all the way to Florida, but we also wanted to take advantage of some free childcare at Nana and Poppi's house. The trip started getting more and more complicated (as well as expensive) and instead of looking forward to a break, we were dreading the planning.
SO, we simplified. We used Daryl's travel vouchers to fly to Atlanta for a long weekend. Surely by March they would be having warm weather! Hannah stayed at Nana and Poppi's house while we reserved 2 rooms at an area hotel for a little R and R. This part went great! The unfortunate event was that Atlanta had the biggest snowstorm of their winter (and actually the biggest for several years). It was COLD and snowy!!! Oh well, it was a good excuse to stay inside, reading, resting and watching too much TV.
Bookending our time at the hotel, we got to do a little exploring of Atlanta toddler-style. Nana and Poppi treated us to the children's museum and the zoo. You will have to check-out some of the pictures on our Picasa site (see sidebar). Hannah had a great time (as did her parents!). Her favorite activites at the Children's Museum were the water table and the sand table. The sand table had a really cool type of sand. It didn't stick on your hands and it was easily moldible. I have to confess I was tempted to get some to take home (kind of expensive though!). The funniest thing that happened was watching Daryl and Poppi "fix" one of the exhibits. Anyone who knows my dad is not surprised by this. I think they spent about 20 minutes on it (no one chased them away) and at the end... the exhibit was working again.
At the zoo, we were told that about half of the animals were not in their exhibit because of the cold. They said that none of the primates were out (these animals are one of the main attractions at Zoo Atlanta), so they gave us the tickets for half price. The joke was (between Daryl and Poppi again) that if the animal was out it wasn't a primate, if it was missing, it was. There were some crazy primate animals (like the giraffe!?!?). Anyway, it really worked out in our favor. The zoo was NOT crowded, but the weather had warmed up enough that they were just letting the animals out. The gorillas (which were out and ARE primates) were particularly entertaining. If you see Hannah, you will have to ask her what she saw. She usually starts reciting a list of animals, laughing hysterically after each one! She answers, "lions, meerkats, polar bears (actually it was the pandas), kangaroos (very fascinating animals), crocodile scream (it was an alligator, but who REALLY can tell the difference and convince a toddler)." The scream she is talking about is in the 3rd verse of "Row, Row, Row you boat"... "if you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream!"
Hannah's big questions all weekend were "Poppi doing? Nana doing?" From the time she got up until her little head hit the pillow at night, she wanted to be exactly where poppi and nana were. They were happy to endulge her... from bike rides (in a new big trailor)... to baking bread... to coloring... to playing with "toe..oys". Thanks Nana and Poppi!
On another note, I've been wanting to post these pictures for a couple weeks. Hannah is wearing the dress that Uncle Jon and Aunt Mo sent her from Mexico. Thank you Aunt Mo and Uncle Jon!
SO, we simplified. We used Daryl's travel vouchers to fly to Atlanta for a long weekend. Surely by March they would be having warm weather! Hannah stayed at Nana and Poppi's house while we reserved 2 rooms at an area hotel for a little R and R. This part went great! The unfortunate event was that Atlanta had the biggest snowstorm of their winter (and actually the biggest for several years). It was COLD and snowy!!! Oh well, it was a good excuse to stay inside, reading, resting and watching too much TV.
Bookending our time at the hotel, we got to do a little exploring of Atlanta toddler-style. Nana and Poppi treated us to the children's museum and the zoo. You will have to check-out some of the pictures on our Picasa site (see sidebar). Hannah had a great time (as did her parents!). Her favorite activites at the Children's Museum were the water table and the sand table. The sand table had a really cool type of sand. It didn't stick on your hands and it was easily moldible. I have to confess I was tempted to get some to take home (kind of expensive though!). The funniest thing that happened was watching Daryl and Poppi "fix" one of the exhibits. Anyone who knows my dad is not surprised by this. I think they spent about 20 minutes on it (no one chased them away) and at the end... the exhibit was working again.
At the zoo, we were told that about half of the animals were not in their exhibit because of the cold. They said that none of the primates were out (these animals are one of the main attractions at Zoo Atlanta), so they gave us the tickets for half price. The joke was (between Daryl and Poppi again) that if the animal was out it wasn't a primate, if it was missing, it was. There were some crazy primate animals (like the giraffe!?!?). Anyway, it really worked out in our favor. The zoo was NOT crowded, but the weather had warmed up enough that they were just letting the animals out. The gorillas (which were out and ARE primates) were particularly entertaining. If you see Hannah, you will have to ask her what she saw. She usually starts reciting a list of animals, laughing hysterically after each one! She answers, "lions, meerkats, polar bears (actually it was the pandas), kangaroos (very fascinating animals), crocodile scream (it was an alligator, but who REALLY can tell the difference and convince a toddler)." The scream she is talking about is in the 3rd verse of "Row, Row, Row you boat"... "if you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream!"
Hannah's big questions all weekend were "Poppi doing? Nana doing?" From the time she got up until her little head hit the pillow at night, she wanted to be exactly where poppi and nana were. They were happy to endulge her... from bike rides (in a new big trailor)... to baking bread... to coloring... to playing with "toe..oys". Thanks Nana and Poppi!
On another note, I've been wanting to post these pictures for a couple weeks. Hannah is wearing the dress that Uncle Jon and Aunt Mo sent her from Mexico. Thank you Aunt Mo and Uncle Jon!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Random Update
I've not been very faithful will updating this blog recently. I really do appreciate those who check back every now and then. It is fun to read everyone's comments. The pregnancy is moving along and I am now in week 13, so technically I'm in the 2nd trimester. Still feeling pretty queasy (and sometimes sick) in the evenings, but I am really hoping to round a bend shortly.
Hannah just keeps cracking us up with her chattering. Enjoy!
A couple weeks ago our friend Levi came over to play. While Hannah was taking her nap, Levi showed off his dancing moves!
Last Friday, we enjoyed the morning with both Levi and Christopher. I must say, my heart and prayers go out to you mothers of twins!!! (Rebecca, when those little ones arrive, let me know how I can help out!) I realized how quickly I run out of hands, especially when everyone is hungry! But, we had fun!
Hey, guys, perhaps the diaper champ isn't THE MOST sanitary thing to play with!
Hannah just keeps cracking us up with her chattering. Enjoy!
A couple weeks ago our friend Levi came over to play. While Hannah was taking her nap, Levi showed off his dancing moves!
Last Friday, we enjoyed the morning with both Levi and Christopher. I must say, my heart and prayers go out to you mothers of twins!!! (Rebecca, when those little ones arrive, let me know how I can help out!) I realized how quickly I run out of hands, especially when everyone is hungry! But, we had fun!
Hey, guys, perhaps the diaper champ isn't THE MOST sanitary thing to play with!(sorry mommies)
Hey, Levi, check out the view from this window!
Hey, Levi, check out the view from this window!
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