January- Happy New Year!

[Amy]

Happy New Years, ladies! I hope that all of you are enjoying 2009 so far. I noticed that this board has gotten pretty slow. All of you must be so busy with your new babies! I'm sorry that I haven't been on very often. Most days, I'm lucky to have time to pee! (I love every second of it though.) I'll ask my dh for help posting pictures.

QOTW1: What's your New Year's resolution?
AOTW1: I'm going to remember to be thankful for every second that I have with my children. It's so easy to get caught up in things (being tired, housework, etc.) that I feel most people miss out on how blessed their lives are. Since my boys were born, I look at the world in a different way. I know that I'm lucky.

QOTW2: What's you favorite thing about your new(est) baby?
AOTW2: I love that Nicholas loves to cuddle so much. And that Zachary is so fiesty!

I hope that as things start to settle down, all of us will find time to post more. My dh will be returning to work on Monday. He's been off since the boys were born, thanks to paternity leave followed by holiday leave. I'm a little bit nervous about being alone but I think I can do it. Matthew is potty trained for the most part. He's not nighttime trained, but that takes time. I've lost all my baby weight plus 5 pounds. (I still have 20+ to lose from being pg with Matthew though!) Nicholas and Zachary are doing well. They nurse all the time and we haven't had to supplement (yet) so I'm really proud of that. They both can hold their heads up and are already trying to roll over.. Lol... Both of their circ's healed up quickly and they are both gaining weight so quickly that they don't fit in the premie clothes anymore.
I think that's all that's new here. Miss you girls!

[JenniferShafer]

Friday,Jan 2nd, was Soren's first birthday. The emotions are overwhelming. I never thought I would ever have to celebrate the day my child was born, with out my child. With my other children, I took for granted that I would carry them 9 month, have the baby, take them home, and life would go on, happy and healthy. I never even thought about losing them. I feel like Soren was the most wanted child ever, I knew before he was born that there was a good chance he would not make it. I never even thought to pray and "want" the other ones because, I never thought they could leave me. I still want Soren so very much. As much as I wish he were here, I wonder what kind of life would he have had? It would have been a hard one. No one wants to see their child hurt. Think how hard it is for you to see your child cry when they get their shots, I cry with them. I just think if that is so hard how would it be to see him go through surgery after surgery and procedure after procedure. He would have needed a transplant at some point, that's what I was told. Can you imagine lying in a bed getting sicker and sicker waiting for the day that someone else has to die so you can live? It was that thought that made me think how Gods love for him and all of us is so wonderful. It made me think about Jesus dying for us, to save us! Our God is a compassionate and loving God. He showed his compassion by calling my sweet Soren home and sparring him from a life of pain. And although this pain feels like it is crushing me, I know God knows I am strong enough to handle it. He tell me this in the bible. It says God will never put more on you than you can handle. I know that I could not handle this with out my faith in God. God blessed me with Soren, and the 17 days 10 hours I had with him. I is a gift that I cherish. I am grateful for every second I had with him. God continues to bless us every day. God also blessed us with another child, Easton. Soren made me realize how precious and fragile life is. I will never take live for granted again. Happy Birthday my sweet Soren.

[JenniferShafer]

QOTW1: What's your New Year's resolution?
I want to get healthy again. Emotionally and physically. The last 2 years have been hard in both ways.

QOTW2: What's you favorite thing about your new(est) baby?
When I gaze into his eyes and he smiles at me. I love it when he smiles!

[Amy]

Jennifer- That was a very beautiful post... I know that I've said it before, but I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sorry that you celebrated Soren's first birthday without him. I couldn't imagine going through what you have. I said a prayer for you and your family.

[tif333]

QOTD 1 : My New Year's resolutions are to lose the baby weight (obviously) and to remember to enjoy every moment with my kids. I want to have more patience with Kaitlyn and try to do fun things with her. And I want to just enjoy the baby phase with Ryan. Every moment holding him and even the sleepless nights.

QOTD 2: I secretely love the fact that he wants me to hold him all the time. He cries when I put him down and I know that would have bothered me when my daughter was a baby. But I know that this is probably my last little one so I am loving the fact that he wants to cuddle all the time. I know now how quickly they grow up. Things won't be like this for long, so I am just soaking it all up!

This board has gotten really slow! I am glad that everyone is busy loving on their little ones though. I hope you all have a wonderful new year. I look forward to hearing from you a little more often when things settle down a little more in all of our lives!

[JenniferShafer]

Hello Everyone,
Sorry I have been gone for awhile. Easton got RSV and was in intensive care for 9 days. He was transferred to a basic room for several days as he was weaned off the O2. He was just released yesterday and I am so glad we are home. He had to be transported to Loma Linda Children's Hospital because he was very critical. Thank God that Ronald McDonald House put us up in a motel. We could not stay at the house because RSV is very contagious. It was hard to be back at the same hospital that Soren was born and died in, again. It was exactly this time last year we were there with Soren. I was so happy that this time I left with my baby. Easton is still very sick but not so sick he has to be in the hospital. Please keep him in your prayers.
I hope you all are doing well.
Jennifer

[JenniferShafer]

One year ago today we said good-bye to our sweet Soren. So much had happened in this last year. So much I wish he were here for. I miss him so much. I can't believe he has been gone for a year. I wanted to freeze time when he died. I never wanted to reach the day that he was gone longer than he lived. I never wanted to reach the holidays he would not be here for. I never wanted to celebrate the birthday that he would not be here to celebrate with us. But God has shown me that time goes on and that even thought it continues, it in no way takes away from Soren. I felt like continuing to go on would in someway be a disrespect to him. I now realize that I want good to come from his life, not just sadness and tears. He will always be my sweet baby. But so will all my children, and I have to be there for them just as I would have been for Soren. I think Soren would be proud that we celebrate his life, and not just mourn his death. So please on this day that his short sweet life ended just one year ago, please remember what joy he brought to us. Please remember what a precious and fragile gift God has given each one of us, Life. And remember how he used my beautiful Soren's life to touch so many, and how he continues to use him. Tell someone his story and how God used him, and please help spread awareness of how congenital heart defects affect so many lives. God bless all of you.

Jennifer

[JenniferShafer]

Easton had an Echo today. While he was in the hospital he heart rate would drop in to the 50's. They want his heart looked at just to be sure everything still looks fine. I am sure it was because he was so sick, but all the heart stuff really scares me. Please pray that when we get the results back they once again clear him for any heart problems.
Jennifer

[Mom-to-Luke]

I haven't been on for a while. Jennifer I am so sorry to hear that Easton has been sick - I pray the ECHO showed all was well.

Kate and I have been spending a lot of time cuddling. I love it. But I don't get anything done. I need to get her birth announcements done - do any of you have suggestions for places to order them? Kate and I have also been hanging out with my sister and her twins. Lilly and Dylan are a month old now and doing great.

AOTD - I can decide on a new years resolution - there are so many things I want to do but most of all I want to make the most of my time with my family.

AOTD - I am enjoying so much about Kate - I love her gummy grin - I can't wait for her to actually smile - she just smiles in her sleep. I also love the way she puts her arm around me when I hold her over my shoulder. There are so many things I am loving about her.

I hope all is well with you and your little ones.

[tif333]

Just wanted to hop on quickly and say hi to everyone. Ryan is doing well. He wants to be held all the time though. Kaitlyn continues to be the best big sister ever and I am enjoying my time home with my kiddos. I am no longer babysitting and won't start real estate school for a couple months so it is just me and my 2 kids at home right now. Nothing too exciting is going on here (which I am thankful for!). Oh, my grandma who has pancreatic cancer is doing well. Her most recent round of blood tests show no sign of cancer! They decided to do more chemo/radiation just to make sure it is all gone though. She will be having radiation/chemo once a week for a month and then will have one week off. That will happen for the next 6 months. She is a little depressed that she will be feeling crappy for the next 6 months. But the fact that she is showing no signs of cancer now is nothing short of a miracle. It is pretty much unheard of to go into remission for pancreatic cancer!

Jennifer - I am so sorry Easton got RSV. I hope he is well now and doesn't give you any more scares!

[mom2miracles]

Hi Girls. I have not been able to get into this forever. I am not sure now if I am in the right spot.... maybe you girls are just not posting as much these days with all the new babies and us being super busy!!!! I do not know why my computer was denying my password and then took it today.


How is everyone

Jess

[Amy]

I have been so busy! Between the boys, finding a new place to live, and preparing for dh to leave for a month, I barely have time to breath! Robert will be leaving on the 4th and will be back March 6th. Also, he will be deploying sometime between April and June for a year. I'm going to move back to Vancouver to be close to my family while he's deployed. Matthew is potty- trained and Nicholas slept through the night for the first time a couple days ago. Zachary rolled over (yay!!) right off the couch (boo!!). Both boys are still nursing exclusively. I am exhausted but 10 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight.
Ok, that's it for me! I miss you girls. Please start checking in more often!

[tif333]

HI! I miss you girls too. I have been really busy lately. Having more than one child keeps you running! Nothing too exciting has been going on though. Ryan slept almost 8 hours last night! He has done 5 or 6 pretty regularly the past couple weeks, but that was by far the longest he's slept. It was heavenly to get that much sleep myself.

Jennifer - How is Easton?

Amy - I'm sorry your husband has to leave. But at leeast you will be able to be near family while he is gone.

Jess - Hi! You are in the right place, it has just been really quiet around here lately.

[Amy]

Where is everyone? I know that we're all busy with our babies, but I miss you guys!

[qvest]

Hi ladies! It's been a while...since I started back to work 2 weeks ago, I can't find time to do anything...ha ha! How is everyone and how are your beautiful babies? Camden is so cute, I just want to kiss and hold him all the time. He is a really good baby and has become really attached to me holding him as much as possible (which I love)! As soon as I can I will post some pics...but things will only get busier, Connor's b-ball season starts the 24th, oh boy.

I miss you guys and hopefully soon we can get on here more often.