LOVE A BEAN

 

Feb. 19 - Day One, The Adventure Begins

 

Wow, what an amazing day! Baby boy arrived at 7:30 a.m. and is acclamaiting to life on the outside and has a team of doctors and the Almighty God working to help him survive. There was a surprise this morning when the doctors brought baby boy into the world. Instead of just having his heart exposed, part of his stomach is also exposed. This is more common than ectopic cordis alone. He also was able to take a first breath or two, but then unable to maintain his own breathing. The team resuscitated him and immediately hooked him up to a breathing tube. He continues to use the breathing tube, but is also taking about 4 breaths a minute by himself. This means he is working to do some breathing, although unable to sustain life on his own.

The good news is that when the doctors looked at his defect, they noticed the heart and stomach are covered by a membrane of sorts, much like skin, sealing baby boy's organs off to air. They are satisfied for now that he does not need to have any synthetic covering as this membrane is doing the job of protecting from infection. We praise God that immediate surgery was not needed...this is one less thing for baby boy to have to overcome.

The pediactric team started tests immediately including x-rays, sonograms, and an MRI making for a full day. Tomorrow the team will work to interpret the information gathered today and also plan to take baby boy's case before a large group of specialists on Monday. We do not know when we will have a concrete plan to move forward, but overall day one went well.

We are blessed to have several world renound doctors helping us. Today's team consisted of over 15 doctors and as many or more nurses. Baby boy is the talk of the town and is receiving excellent care.

Baby boy weighed in at 8 pounds 6 ounces and measures 20 inches long; not bad for coming at 38 weeks.

Feb. 18 - 

This morning I traveled to Children's to get my blood work done in preparation for the c-section tomorrow. I was also scheduled to do a meet and greet with my OR nurse who is in charge of my care tomorrow. In and out, that's what I thought. Down in the morning, back by lunch. However, as I'm learning, there is never a quick visit to Children's! In addition to the above, I ended up meeting with the cardiologist, one of the pediatric surgeons who will be attending baby boy, and the inpatient social worker who will be our family's hospital liaison. All good people to meet with. Dr. Donofrio went over some last minute tweaking to the birthing plan. In a nutshell, Dr. Jonas (the head surgeon) decided he wants to not only be present at the birth, but also wants to cover baby boy's heart tomorrow directly after birth. This is something they were thinking of doing several days after birth, but he feels it gives baby boy better protection from infection and other complications that can arise from having the heart exposed. So, the meeting with the surgeon today was to go over the process of that type of surgery, the risks and benefits, etc.   Dr. Donofrio also asked Henry and I to consider allowing Children's PR department to document our family's story. Ectopic Cordis, especially our baby's type, is rare. Only 2-3 babies are born like this a year (I think worldwide) so there isn't much information out there for the general public. This would raise awareness of congenital heart defects in general as well as (if the Lord wills) give a positive story on Ectopic Cordis. I prayed early on that I wanted God to be glorified no matter the outcome and this seems like one more way we can share what God has done for us and our baby. We aren't sure what it all entails, but it is on the table and we arecontemplating our options.  So, with all that being said, I finally made it home late afternoon to a quiet house. Henry dropped the girls off this morning at my sister's house where they will stay for the next week or so while Henry and I focus on baby boy and his plan going forward. This will also lessen the anxiety felt by Natalie, who is very aware that baby boy is coming (although she doesn't know it's tomorrow) and that he has a boo boo on his heart. It was hard for me to see them go, but I know it is better for them not to be in the middle of this stressful event.  As far as logistics, people have been asking for some specifics so here is what we know for the 19th: 1) The c-section is scheduled for 7 a.m. EST 2) Baby boy will immediately be whisked into an adjoining OR, a breathing tube inserted, and a small surgery done to cover his exposed heart.  3) Mommy will be wheeled to Washington Hospital Center for recovery and will stay the normal post-partum length of time, while baby boy will be stay at Children's in their Cardiac ICI (CICU) where he will be assessed and treated as needed.  4) A friend of a friend graciously loaned us an air card so we will have internet access and can update the blog from the hospital. Yeah!!  So, we will get the information up as soon as we have it...  That's it for now. Thanks to everyone who has reached out to us, offering practical help and prayers. We appreciate the network of friends and family God has provided for us, especially as we face the unknown. We'll keep you posted!

 

 

Jan. 26 - Children's Visit

Today we had our final visit with Children's Hospital before the big day. Our morning started with a routine ECHO and consultation with the cardiologist. We learned a few new things about baby boy's heart, but mostly went over step-by-step what we can expect at the birth.  First, the cardiologist told us she is struggling to see the ductus - the tube that allows blood flow in utero and closes within 48 hours after birth. In and of itself, it's not a big problem if the ductus is not present. The other thing she is seeing is a web of 'extra' vessels where the ductus normally is called collaterals. The collaterals are also not life threatening and there are routine ways of dealing with them after birth that are not invasive to the baby. She also confirmed that she is still unable to see the right side of the heart, but continues to feel it is not quite right. She said, it either is perfectly normal and she just can't see it, the baby may have what's known as tetralogy of fallot, or may have hypoplastic right ventricle with tricuspid atresia. We won't know until birth what we are dealing with and she outlined a few things possible for treating the above defects.  Secondly, she confirmed we will deliver the baby at Children's hospital. Our c-section date is February 19. She walked us through what we can expect, which is - once baby boy is born, he will immediately be put on a breathing machine and assessed by a team of specialists. They will do a special ultrasound and ECHO (since his heart is exposed) to try and figure out what functionality the right ventricle has. From these less invasive tests, they should be able to determine what questions remain and choose from a list of more invasive tests what the best 'next step' is. This includes tests such as MRI, CT scan, and exploratory catherterization work. Those test will hopefully give us the answer to whether baby boy needs heart surgery in addition to closing the chest wall. And, based on those answers, he could have surgery within the week (if it is imminently life-threatening) or we may be able to push surgery off until he is older and stronger.  After our visit in cardiology, we took a tour of the Cardiac ICU (CICU) and the step-down heart ward. This was very emotional for me as I've been worrying about how much nurturing baby boy will have while I am not able to be at the hospital. The nurses seemed very caring and informed me there is one nurse to two patients and since the babies come at birth, the nurses tend to form strong bonds with them. They went further to say that they promise to take very good care of my baby. This struck at the core of my deepest concerns and tears streamed down my face in relief. After I was able to pull myself together, we moved on to view the CICU rooms. They are a pretty decent size and private. That will be nice for us when the girls come with me to visit. I won't have to worry about them bothering another family and baby. Each room has pull out recliners for sleeping, a private bath with shower, a computer/TV and a little nurse's station. Parents can be there around the clock and siblings can come as long as they are not sick or running a fever. They also have a family lounge where visitors can hang out that includes a fridge, coffee bar, vending machines, and a laundry room. This last one kills me. Now I have two places I can have the joy of throwing in a load of clothes. Actually, it's very thoughtful for families who aren't local and need a place to clean their clothes. I'm not sure what our first few weeks will be like, so I may be utilizing it sooner than I think.  Next, we moved on to my afternoon OB appointment with the doctor who will perform my c-section. Dr. Downing seems really nice - he is high energy and a bit quirky, but Henry and I both like him. He took a good deal of time explaining a routine c-section (since I've never had one) and also what would be different in ours. (Bascially, he will cut a little bit bigger incision in my uterus so he can cup his hand around the heart while pulling the baby out. during a routine c-section, the smallest possible incision is made and the baby is pushed and tugged on to bring it into the world. Dr. Downing does not want to do any pushing or tugging on baby boy, or allow any pressure to the heart. )  He also answered all the questions we had surrounding logistics the day of and throughout recovery. He quickly agreed that Henry could be with me while I get my spinal block and also that Henry can wheel me back and forth between the hospitals any time I am stable enough. I was happy on both accounts.  The day ended with an impromptu Biophysical Profile (BPP) which is much like an ultrasound, but they look for different physical signs of life like movement, heart rate, breathing (looking to make sure the diaphragm is working correctly),  muscle tone, and the amniotic fluid level. We passed with flying colors. We do however have to go see Dr. Downing in DC weekly for the next two weeks, including getting repeat BPPs. The third week will be the c-section.  I can't believe we are three weeks away from delivering this baby. All the planning that has gone into this birth and still we have no solid answers. We know that God's plan for this baby is good and right, and trust that He will sustain us during this difficult time. We appreciate everyone who has reached out to us and will keep you updated as we get more news. I'm guessing the next you hear from us will be to tell you baby boy has entered the world. 

 

Dec. 20 – Fetal Echo Summary

Just when I thought things were becoming routine, my follow up echo brought us more news. Baby boy’s heart is still functioning well. They see good blood flow throughout the pulmonary artery and aorta. And, they might have spotted the right ventricle. They haven’t seen it in past echoes due to the positioning of the sternum, but know it is there for several reasons. We spent most the time talking about the right ventricle and the ‘ifs’ that could happen at birth. First, Dr. Donofrio explained baby boy has a VSD (ventricular septal defect). This is a hole between the left and right ventricle (one of the reasons she knows there is a right ventricle – there can’t be a hole if there’s nothing on the other side). This is nothing to be too concerned about. She said surgery is typically not necessary with this anomaly. They see quite a few patients with a VSD and usually this is something that either closes on its own as the person grows, or remains small enough to not cause any symptoms. In our baby’s case, it might be an added perk. That’s because she brought up that they are not sure the tricuspid valve is working. This is a condition called tricuspid atresia. They are having a really hard time seeing the lower right quandrant of the heart in general so they can’t tell if blood flow is going through the tricuspid or not. They told us in past appointments that there is blood flow coming up through the pulmonary valve, but they are unsure if that is from blood coming through the VSD (flowing through the left ventricle, through the VSD and up the pulmonary artery) or from both the VSD and tricuspid. We probably won’t know this until baby boy is born and they get a good view of the heart. She assured me that Tricuspid atresia or stenosis is something they also routinely see and are confident they can fix without too much trauma to the baby. 

We also talked about birth and recovery. Last time we met with her, we all decided it was best to deliver at Washington Hospital Center. This would eliminate the risk of having to ambulance or helicopter the baby from our local hospital down to Children’s. This appointment, she threw out the possibility of delivering at Children’s. This would be a very, very big deal. They have only delivered 5 babies in their history...this is reserved for very fragile situations. Her thinking is that while Washington Hospital Center is connected to Children’s, there would still be about 20 minutes from the time of birth until baby boy would be safe in their cardiac NICU. As she reviews our case, she is bothered by this last risk. While she doesn’t see any reason baby boy won’t be stabilized at birth, there are many things that can happen with a heart baby that would be life threatening. She feels more comfortable eliminating the possibility of something happening during transport. What this means is the OB team from Washington Hospital Center would be contracted to come over to Children’s and perform the C-section there. There are no risks to me apart from the normal risks of C-sections and they would be in a working hospital so would have resources available should something come up. I would then recover for about 4 hours before being wheeled through the tunnel to Washington Hospital Center to be checked into my room. I may even be able to see baby boy before going to my room. The only thing that would stop this from happening is if the OB thinks I am developing anything high-risk such as preeclampsia.

The last thing we talked about is the recovery of baby boy. Last time I saw her, I thought she mentioned that baby boy’s reconstructive surgery could take place as soon as several weeks after birth, making his hospital stay relatively short. This time, she explained the heart would gradually be put back in the chest to make sure no kinks were created and the heart didn’t feel crowded at all. It turns out hearts are claustrophobic. She said to expect hospitalization for at least 6 months. This was hard for us to hear as we were hoping for just a few months. 

We also talked about visiting logistics and she warned me that bringing the girls to the hospital for extended visits may not be feasible. Not on Children’s part, but she said little kids just don’t last very long during hospital visits. She stressed that the months of hospitalization will be very overwhelming and difficult for me. I will constantly be going back and forth between children and never feeling like I’m giving anyone the time they need. She wants me to understand this and be prepared for these feelings. My biggest worry is that the girls will feel displaced and neglected. I remember how I felt after Ainsley was born – the feelings of guilt that Natalie now had to share her mommy, that she wasn’t getting enough. I have a feeling the birth of baby boy will bring that emotion back, but on steroids. 

As a friend reminded us last night – hey, at least we’re talking c-section and recovery. A few months ago, we were talking miscarriage and death. It’s a miracle we are at this point. We praise God for keeping baby boy alive thus far. Just because I feel God has told me this baby will live, doesn’t mean He promised me it would be easy. I am almost 30 weeks pregnant. The next time I see the cardiologist and meet the OB, I will be 33 weeks pregnant and 5 weeks away from implementing all we’ve been planning for. It’s right around the corner. We are excited to meet baby boy and will keep you updated as we find out more information. 

Summary –

What we know:

• The left ventricle and aorta are normal

• The pulmonary valve opens and is small but ok for now (measuring 50% the size it should be)

•The baby has a VSD

What we don’t know:

•Does the tricuspid valve open?

•How big is the right ventricle

• Will blood flow into the lungs be adequate at birth?

Possible scenarios:

• No heart surgery at birth if enough oxygenation is taking place

• A shunt is the pulmonary valve is too small

• Starting a series of operations known as Fontan if the right ventricle is too small

 

 

Nov. 2008 - Our visit to Children's Hospital, the sequel

On Weds., Nov. 19, I went to Children's Hospital to have a fetal MRI, a high-risk ultrasound, and a follow up fetal ECHO. And the results are in:

'Houston, we have a sternum': The MRI showed that baby boy does in fact have a sternum, and a pretty good one at that. The 'minor defect' as the radiologist describedit is at the inferior position of the sternum. I think in laymen's terms that means the bottom of the sternum, that's where she pointed to at least. It seems the bottom of the sternum is flipped up a bit like a fin instead of laying flat like the rest of the bone. There is also cartilage damage. This is where the heart is coming through the chest. The rest of the sternum looks 'beautiful.' (I told her this was the first time anyone has said this baby looks beautiful.) The main sternum is fully developed as well as the cartilage connecting the fully developed ribcages, diaphragms and lungs. This is absolutely the best possible scenario. As far as chest reconstruction, she said this is an easy fix and doesn't pose a problem at all. That brings us back to the heart.

The follow up ECHO is showing no signs of digression on the part of the heart. It is still showing great blood flow from right ventricle. The right ventricle is still showing up small, so this is still of concern. However, we got some great news. Dr. Jonas and his colleague, Dr. Wessel, not only agreed to take on our case, but feel very positive about the outcome pending the heart functions well. Both have dealt with this issue before and Dr. Wessel has seen 10 cases. With how rare this malformation is, that is a considerable amount. Both said that in cases where it was simply a matter of sticking the heart back in the chest, the children did great. It was when there was additional surgical intervention needed on the heart itself that the children did not fare well. So, the cardiologist gave us three scenarios:

Best case (other than divine healing): The baby is born and the heart is put back in the chest within a few weeks of life. The heart thrives, does its job, and we go on with life.

Worst case: The baby is born, the heart cannot properly oxygenate blood (we will know this within two days), immediate heart surgery is necessary and the heart is put inside the chest.This combination is typically lethal.

Middle-of-the-road scenario:The baby is born, the heart isn't functioning properly but working enough to prolong surgery, the heart is put back in the chest and the baby is able to heal and grow strong before heart surgery is absolutely necessary. The ideal would be a year or more. Dr. Donofario feels this would give the baby a better prognosis than surviving major heart and chest surgery within the first weeks of life.

Dr. Donofario's gut feeling is that we are looking at the middle-of-the-road scenario. The right ventricle is causing her some concern, but she is encouraged that it looks like it has good flow before birth. In about a month, I will have weekly ultrasounds to track whether the heart's condition is digressing in any way. This could determine if the baby is taken even earlier than planned. At this time, Dr. Donofario says the heart is "not showing ANY signs of stress." This is truly remarkable and we praise God for it.

What we do know -

The baby will be delivered by c-section at Washington Hospital Center, directly behind Children's Hospital ideally at 37-38 weeks. It will be hooked up immediately to a breathing tube and whisked away to Children's cardiac NICU, a 5 minute walk through a tunnel that connects both hospitals.) The cardiologist and surgical teams will assess the baby over the next few days and determine the best course of action. Dr. Donofario emphatically stated she sees no reason why they would not be able to stabilize the baby after birth.

We are really encouraged by all this good news. Each time we go in, they seem to eliminate any possible problems other than the heart. Our prayer is that the heart will go into the chest and work well enough to not require further surgeries. While Dr. Donofario does not think this will be the case, we know that all things are possible with God. We are so thankful for all of you who have reached out to us and we continue to covet your prayers. At this point, we're in a holding pattern for the next 13 or so weeks.

If you are just joining us in our story, please feel free to look in the archives for the full details.

 

Nov. 2008 - Our visit to Children's Hospital Summarized

A normal heart has four chambers: the right atrium (RA) the left atrium (LA), the right ventricle (RV) and the left ventricle (LV). The RA and LA are the same size, the RV and LV are the same size, and the Tricuspid and Mitral valves are the same size. Blood flows from the right aorta through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle up through the pulmonary artery and into the lungs. Blood also flows from the left aorta through the mitral valve to the left ventricle up through the aorta and into the body.

Our baby's heart while it has all its peices,has a few issues.The right ventricle is smaller than the left valve. Additionally, the tricuspid is about 75% smaller than the mitral valve, a sign that the RV is in fact smaller and not just unseeable because of the position of the baby or compression from the chest cavity wall. The pulmonary artery, instead of coming straight down and being nice and puffy, is pulled to the side and squished.

So, what does this mean for us? First of all, Henry and I are somewhat encouraged that the baby has all its parts. As you know, two weeks ago we were told the baby did not have a pulmonary artery or a right ventricle. Today, we found out he does in fact have them, but they are distorted to the point that it's hard to make them out. The pulmonary artery especially is stretched thin and pulled to the side, due to the positioning of the heart, making it appear in a place it isn't normally. Secondly, the right ventricle is not developed to full size, but from blood flow analysis, seems to be functioning. This could change as the pregnancy progresses, but at this point, it seems to be functioning somewhat.

So, the good news is that we are dealing with a heart that can sustain life at least for some time while the doctors monitor the baby's heart function and plan next steps toward a good quality of life. With that being said, we are not out of the woods and are still in a precarious position. The doctor raised several questions today, some or all which we won't have the answers to until the baby is born.

There are two major defects - the heart and the sternum. The doctor was unable to detect a sternum during the ultrasound today and suggested a fetal MRI which is better able to detect bone structure. This will tell us several things: a) is there a sternum, b) can the chest wall be repaired, c) how much room is inside the chest cavity to put the heart back in place. For treatment, we need to know all of these things. Without a sternum, the baby will be unable to contract its diaphragm which pulls air into the lungs. It is vital for this function, so the baby will need either a trachea tube or breathing tube until surgery can be performed. Without room in the chest, surgery will be postponed to allow the baby to grow. This can take anywhere from two months to a year.

Best case scenario (other than a miracle from God): The baby is born, it's lungs work properly, the right ventricle is able to support blood flow, it gets a breathing tube and surgery can take place within a few weeks/months to put the heart back into the chest cavity. Once inside the chest cavity, the right ventricle experiences growth in its new healthy habitat and no further surgery is required.

Worst case scenario (other than death, which is still a high probability); The baby is born, the lungs don't work properly, the right ventricle cannot support proper blood flow, intervention is necessary not only for putting the heart back in place, but also ‘rewiring' veins to allow sufficient blood flow until better technology can be developed to fully repair the heart. (people have been known to have this rewiring done and live years, but not long lives).

The cardiologist feels we are somewhere in between the best case and worst case scenarios. She can't predict anything until birth, but we will have several plans in place to know how to go forward once the baby is born.

What we do know is this:

• 1) There is a chance this baby will live. Up until now, we've been told we had as little as a 1% chance at having a living baby. The cardiologist is cautious to give us much hope, but feels optimistic that we have options.
• 2) If the baby does survive birth, the heart will be covered with a synthetic material to prevent infection since the heart is not covered by skin.
• 3) There will be extended stays in the hospital for at least the first year and he will need lifetime monitoring and/or care. Making it to birth is only the beginning of a long, trying process.

Both Henry and I feel we are in excellent hands at Childrens. We consulted with the director of fetal cardiology and she spent an amazing amount of time both looking at the pictures and explaining to us what is happening and our options moving forward. She told us there are only 10 case studies of this type of scenario worldwide. Our baby would be the eleventh. There are no statistics to base decisions on; there are no statistics to give us life long predictions. She emphasized that while there are no ‘experts' for this condition, she and her team are heart experts and would do everything possible to get us not only a living baby, but a baby who would grow into a child who would one day be playing on the playground instead of weak on the couch.

The other good news is that the Childrens infant heart surgeon is the best in the field. She basically said before Dr. Jonas started doing his work, there were infant heart surgeries, but when he came along, they started being successful. He's world renowned and is the author of the leading text book on infant heart surgeries. He still has to agree to take our case on, but she feels if he agrees to work with us, we are in the best hands possible. She also emphasized if he doesn't agree to work with us, she would coordinate us getting in with another surgeon. No matter who does the surgery, if it comes to that, our ultimate faith is in God, not in the surgeon. We know that nothing is impossible with Him!

For those of you interested in the emotions of today or the process of amniocentesis, you can look at my posts under the musings sections. Also, don't forget to check out the girls pages and the new photos in the photo gallery.

Oct. 2008 -

We are headed out the door in 15 minutes for the airport, but I wanted to get a quick update out for those who are curious about our 20 week sonogram.

We had our 20 weeks sonogram on Friday and we are having a boy! I was shocked beyond shocked....and quite honestly, it threw me for a loop as my immediate reaction was "please God, don't take my only son." Funny, huh, since he sent his only son for us....that just hit me. Anyway, I was pretty emotional over the weekend reprocessing and grieving for my son, not my daughter, but God impressed on me the story of Abraham and how he waited so long (much longer than me) for a son, how God fulfilled that promise and then asked him to sacrifice that son back to God. Abraham's faith was so strong in God's original promise of making a great nation using Abraham's son that he was able to let go of the only visible sign of that promise. And God chose to send a replacement in the ram. I know you know the story, but it just hit home for me this weekend that this baby, boy or girl, is God's and while he hasn't promised me a son, He has made me many promises, and I need to trust in His promises and let go of my earthly desires. It remains to be seen if God will give me this son on earth, but I'm in a better place today for sure.  The specialist was able to see a lot on the heart condition during the sonogram. We found out that the heart is not only outside of the chest cavity, but is severely malformed. When the heart is developing, part of it starts as a trunk which develops a septum separating the trunk into the pulmonery artery and the aorta. Our baby's heart simply has a trunk. The pulmonery artery is essential for oxygenating the blood so while the baby is in utero, it can breathe because it doesn't require oxygen. This will change of course at birth. We are going to Children's Hospital in DC on Oct. 29 to conduct a Fetal Echo and have consultations with both a pediatric cardiologist and geneticist (to explore some of Henry's family's conditions to see if that could impact the baby's prognosis). We also plan to have amniocentisis later this month to give the pedicatric cardiologist and geneticist more information to work with in putting together a clear picture of what's going on. My prayer (other than healing) is that we would have wisdom in making decisions going forward and understanding all of our options. Children's of DC is supposed to be a great place to go on the East Coast so we're blessed to live so close.   That's all we know for now.

I'm thankful for these few days to rest and connect as it seems we are headed into a time of endless doctors appointments. I'll update the girls' pages another time.....

 

Sept. 2008 -

August was an emotional month for our family. For those of you who don’t know, we are expecting our third child in March 2009. That makes me about 15 weeks pregnant as of early September. However, we were told at the beginning of this month at a routine screening that the baby most likely won’t make it to term. Apparently the sternum didn’t close properly and the heart has worked itself out of the chest cavity. The main concern for the doctors (we visited a specialist after hearing the original news) is that the baby seems to already be experiencing significant heart failure. That is why the prognosis is so grim.

We are, of course, saddened by the news. It isn’t what any parent wants to hear. However, Henry and I both feel God knows what He is doing and we are just waiting to see what happens.

Henry has also been distracted by the rumors and now the announcement of the government’s interference with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Henry accepted a position with Fannie Mae in June (although he consulted there for almost 2 years prior) so his work environment has become increasingly stressful over the last few months. With the most recent announcements, it’s become an extremely stressful environment working with folks who have lost a tremendous amount of value in their company stock holdings and have no idea what the future holds. The coming months will show us how this thing will play out, but unfortunately, Henry is having to live in the middle of the shake down.

The girls are doing great. They know mommy is having a baby, but don’t know it is sick. They are extremely patient – I brag on them often – with my morning sickness. You can get more details on their going-ons under their individual pages.

 

Aug. 2008 –

July came and went without much fanfare. Leighann and the girls traveled to see her grandparents in rural New York for the fourth. They got caught up with most the extended Morris family who descend each year on the poor locals. The girls had a great time playing with their cousins and second cousins for three days. Natalie hit her head pretty hard on day two and we ended up taking her to the E.R. after she started vomiting. Mommy wasn’t too worried – it was more precautionary than anything since Natalie had delayed vomiting. Grandma and Uncle Richard went with us to make sure we got there okay. That’s about the only event that took place. Otherwise, we’ve been playing outside, going to free local kid’s movies and events, and heading out to the farm about once a week. There are pictures of all these activities in the picture gallery.

July 2008 -

Much is the same in our household. The girls continue to grow and amaze us all the time. They are starting to play well together now that Ainsley is almost two. Natalie had a big month with dad. They went on a dad and kids campout one weekend and then her first big-screen movie the following week (Kung Foo Panda). Subsequently, Ainsley got some good alone time with mom and knew she was big stuff.

We also started going to the farm on a weekly basis. The girls love picking strawberries, blueberries, and black raspberries. They aren’t so thrilled about picking pod peas, but hey, they’re harder to pick and not nearly so sweet so who can blame them. We enjoy our weekly deliveries too, trying out some new collard green and kale recipes. It’s all been so delicious and fresh. I can’t say enough about how much we love Great Country Farms.

Henry is settling into his new position and working hard. Natalie said to him the other day, “Daddy, why do you have to go to work?”

Henry answered, “To make money.”

“Why do we need money?” Natalie asked.

“Ask your mother.” was Henry’s reply.

Two friends and I joined a local women’s basketball league for the summer. Our first game was two weeks ago and I can’t believe how much fun I’m having. I haven’t played competitive sports for over a decade – can’t believe it’s been that long – and I’m having a blast. Now I understand why Henry’s so into playing. I can’t wait til our next game!

June 2008 -

May went so fast and was so full, yet when I look back at the calendar, the first day seems like forever ago. Natalie had her last few weeks of school, which included a field trip to a local petting farm – I think Ainsley enjoyed it more than any of us. It rained before lunch time and the girls were sad we had to leave. I love the rain, but it was too cold to stay. She also had an end-of-year program in which she was the loudest singer in her class. It literally sounded like Natalie with some background vocals! She was great. When her class got up to sing, I made my way to the front of the aisle to take her picture. Ainsley, who was sitting with a friend, started to fuss. Natalie looked happy until this point at which she looked around concerned then looked at me and said, “Mom, Ainsley’s crying. Where is she?” Mind you, although informal, there was a program going on so I whispered from my spot, crouched in the aisle, “She’s sitting with Katherine-Anne’s mommy.” Natalie said, “Mom, where’s Ainsley?” I repeated in a louder whisper, “She’s sitting with Katherine-Anne’s mommy.” To which Natalie replied, “I can’t hear you!” The crowd twittered with laughter and Natalie smiled this smile that said, “They’re laughing at me!”

I was able to connect with a friend who I graduated high school with this month. I’ve seen her on and off since graduation, but we were able to spend an afternoon together catching up. She and her husband are home on medical leave from the mission field in Croatia. She recently had her second child, a little boy named Jack. It was neat to see how we’ve both changed and how we’ve also stayed the same.

Memorial Day was packed with family get togethers. We traveled to Pennsylvania to visit Henry’s cousin and family. Three cousins descended on one house bringing wives and children to brave out the weekend. We took the kids to Dutch Wonderland on Saturday where we rode miniature rides and watched a pretty impressive diving show. Natalie said to me this week about the trip, “We saw the diving and it had a princess. I really liked her pretty bathing suit, mom.” Oh, the things they remember! Sunday we headed to an uncle’s house to visit with more family and spend time with Henry’s cousin who is in the Air Force. We haven’t seen him for quite some time and it was wonderful to reconnect through games and food. Good times, good times.

Henry’s basketball league is coming to a close. His team is ranked first (I believe) and has playoffs this weekend. I will be shocked if they are not crowned champions. I’m sure he’ll put his trophy next to last year’s championship trophy from the same league. It’s amazing that no matter how old guys get, they still love to display their accomplishments in sports. I guess it’s proof they can still huff it up and down the court – at least faster than the other old geezers out there.

I am spending my time, as always, catching up on projects and feeling like there is always too much to do. Every time I check something off, I add two or three more things to the list. I’ve been reading and writing more – much to my enjoyment. The ‘musings’ link to the right is a blog I started a few months ago for random thoughts throughout the month. It gives me an outlet for things not pertaining to our monthly updates. Stop by and let me know what you think.

We hope this month finds you healthy and blessed.

May 2008 -

I love Spring! The flowers are blooming, the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air, and we are outside for hours at a time again. It's incredibly refreshing after a winter of being cooped up in the house. There are those insane mothers who dress their children up in winter gear and play outside during the winter months, but I'm not one of them. While I'm sure my children would benefit and enjoy going out in the winter, my body doesn't react well to the cold. So we are happy to be playing outside on a regular basis again. This week, Natalie took to looking for catepillars to put in an empty tupperware dish. She kept telling me they like rocks, sticks, grass and dirt. She hasn't found any, but it's not for want of looking.

It's hard to believe Ainsley is 21 months. Where did the time go? It's also hard to believe this is how old Natalie was when Ainsley was born. Today, Natalie asked me if she and Ainsley were tiny together. I explained that she was born first and that she was how big Ainsley is when Ainsley was tiny. She couldn't understand that. She didn't believe me that she had been in our family by herself, no sister, just her. We went in cirlces for quite some time, Natalie holding up her little hand like she was pinching a speck of grain between her thumb and index finger, the rest of her fingers splayed out like a rooster's comb, "But mom, when I was this little, how little was Ainsley?" I kept telling her that they had both been that size, just at different times. I don't think she ever did grasp it, but she finally dropped the subject.

Henry and I are both doing well. Henry working hard and playing basketball on the weekends. Me, taking care of the kids and keeping up with my bookclub. There's not much to report on us, kind of the same old, same old. We are blessed and aren't complaining. Hopefully, this month finds you blessed and doing well too.

April 2008 -

There are some things that are as sure as death and taxes....laundry, dishes, changing the furnace filter, and updating loveabean! It seems these days I turn around and another month has flown by. April showers are in our neck of the woods, but when it's somewhat nice, the girls have taken to playing outside. Recently, they even wanted to go outside in the rain and I stayed in the house while they ran from the back door to the front in their rain boots and coats. They loved it and it let them run off some energy.

Natalie is proving she is good with scissors. She wanted to cut something this week and I hesitantly allowed her heavily superivsed scissor time. She has been very good about asking for the scissors, finding appropriate paper, and sitting at the table cutting it into strips. She says, "Look mommy, I keep my fingers all over here so I don't cut them off." Ainsley also is infactuated with paper and has mastered ripping (as in books, checkbook registers, and anything else she can find). We are working on using our curiosity in other ways.

Several of you have asked how our building project is going. We are in the process of looking for house plans which is holding up everything else. Without them, we can't answer any questions the engineer, soil tech, builder, etc. has for us. And, it is hard to know what costs are involved when you don't have any parameters to measure it by. So, hopefully, we will be able to find plans in the next month or so.

We hope you and your families are doing well. Don't forget to check out the girls' individual links. They continue to amaze us every day as they grow into little people.

March 2008 -

Where did February go? I can't believe it's the second week of March already. We moved the second week in February to a single family home and we are loving it. It is taking some time to organize things, but I figure with my fetish to organize, it will be awhile before I'm satisfied. We love the layout of the new house and how we function in it.

Spring is coming and we've had a few warm days. Today was gorgeous so I took the girls to the park after picking Natalie up from preschool. While there I realized that while Ainsley loves to climb and is a real dare-devil, she doesn't enjoy going down the slide. She would much prefer to sit in the swing and let mommy push her. (she now wants me to push her from behind because that is how Natalie makes me do it.) Natalie, however, hasn't met a slide she doesn't like (and has been that way since she was 10 months) and it took her until last summer to warm up to the swings. Go figure. I'm sure it has something to do with personality.

Henry's basketball league started up again. I ordered little cheerleading uniforms for the girls and surprised him at the first game. They were the talk of the bleachers!! Natalie told Henry two days before his game, "Mommy got me a special dress for your basketball game, but sshhhh! don't tell cause it's a secret." I suppose part of the fun of a surprise is the anticipation. During the first game, a guy split his head open and ended up with a pretty nice gash. Natalie saw that he had blood running down his arm and when we got home said, "I am going to make a card for that man who hurt hisself, but I don't want him to get his red arm on it."

I am keeping busy unpacking and organizing the new digs. I also am starting a book club this month with a few of my friends to stimulate my atrophying brain and also just took training to volunteer with a local organization that comes along side women facing unplanned pregnancies. I'm really excited about this opportunity and feel it is a great way to impact someone else's life.

February 2008 -

Hola, como estas? Henry and I headed to South America in the beginning of January on a cruise that went to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Porto Belo. Each city had a different atmosphere and we enjoyed each one for their unique flavor.

Having sold our townhouse in December, we needed to decide whether we would renovate the small house on our lot and live there while building a more livable structure. Unfortunately, the more we looked into it, the less cost-effective it became. It was appealing to me to live on our own land so we could more readily oversee the building project and give the girls a huge yard to play in. However, I also am excited to not have to worry about space issues (the house is approximately 800 sq. ft.) or health issues (mold removal was necessary and I think I would’ve always wondered if it were growing back).

Upon our return from the cruise, Henry and I took a week to scout out the area for rentals and chose a tri-level house about five miles from where we live now that seems to suit our needs perfectly. It has plenty of space and is still close to the lot for easy access. We are moving the second weekend in February and look forward to being settled by the beginning of March.

I leave our house with mixed feelings. I’ve never been attached to the place we were living before, but this is where we had our babies and it's all they know. We have such good memories here. It’s funny how something so temporal can weasel it’s way into your heart. But honestly, it’s not the house I’m holding on to, but the memories; and thankfully, they are coming with me.

So next month, we’ll fill you in on how the move went and if we like the new neighbors!

January 2008 -

I love the feeling of starting a new year. It is like a new beginning and I can start fresh on some goal I gave up on last year. Smile. The biggest news from December is that we accepted an offer on our house and ratified a contract the day after Christmas. It's been a long 6 months and I'm glad to have this monkey off our back. We settle on Feb. 15 and pray that everything will go through as planned. We are now in the process of deciding where we will live until we are able to build a house on the lot we bought back in May. Looking back, 2007 was a busy year for our family. Here is a recap:

January - Lots of playdates, book club, music class with the girls, and doctor's appointments (We do all our annual visits at the beginning of the year, making it easy for me to remember when to book them again.)

February - More playdates, basketball games for siblings, and a trip for Henry and I to sunny Miami.

March - Joined the farm in Bluemont and went to our first event there - the Easter egg hunt. What a blast. We'll definitely be back.

April - The retirement of Henry's mentor at the Pentagon gives us the opportunity to get a tour and attend a memorable Air Force retirement ceremony. Additionally, we join a small group and get back into the habit of surrounding ourselves with friends.

May - My paternal grandfather passes, leaving a strong legacy of faith. Henry and I attend a land auction and walk away with the winning bid!

June - We run around like chickens with our heads cut off getting our townhouse ready to list, and finally put it on the market at the end of the month. Natalie starts swim lessons.

July - Ainsley turns 1!

August - Leighann turns 30! The girls and I finish a great summer at the farm as we gear up for school time.

September - Natalie starts preschool and loves it. Ainsley starts a mommy and me music class and knows she's special. Priceless.

October - Natalie turns 3! Henry turns 30 on the Great Wall of China! The trip of a lifetime, making memories he'll never forget.

November - Tiffany, Henry's sister, gets married. Natalie says she (Tiffany) is wearing a mermaid dress. Thanksgiving with the families.

December - A blur! Katie, Leighann's sister, gets married. Leighann has LASIK (and loves it). We get a contract on our house in time for Christmas (thank the Lord!). And, of course, the holidays.

From our family to yours - Happy New Year!

November/December 2007 -

Wow! We have a lot to be thankful for this year. The Thanksgiving season is over and Christmas preparations are beginning. We had a wonderful time at each of our families the day and day after Thanksgiving. Both meals were absolutely delicious and since I did not host this year, were considerably carefree. We basically ate and played for four straight days...who can complain about that? Now back to the grindstone!

Henry's trip to China was, in his words, "an experience of a lifetime." He spent two days in Hong Kong, five days on the Ming Wall, and two days in Beijing. His tour guide, William Lindesay, was the first non-Chinese to run the entire length of the Great Wall and is an amazing scholar of Chinese history. He took Henry and several friends on a five day hike, all the while giving them small lectures on things pertaining to the wall and the Chinese culture. Henry couldn't have been happier with his trip. While there, a Chinese woman came up to him and said, "You are a very beautiful man." :) There aren't many blond-haired, blue-eyed giants in mainland China!

We are getting ready for the Christmas holiday and all that entails, and I'm quite excited to shop for the girls. We didn't get them presents in the past because they were so young. This year, we are going to Great Country Farms to chop down a tree and will celebrate Christmas morning in our house. Natalie understands gift giving (and receiving for that matter) so it should be a really fun Christmas morning. I'm banning Chinese-made toys this year due to the recent recalls. Henry thinks I'm nuts, but the girls don't really need anything from China so why go through the hassle of worrying if anything is coated with toxic chemicals. It's been slightly challenging, but surprisingly easy at the same time. I'm finding there are toys still made in the USA, some a little more expensive, but others relatively inexpensive. She is only getting three presents (from us) so it's not like I have to find a huge number of toys anyway. Ainsley is still putting things in her mouth, so this Christmas we will be better safe than sorry.

Speaking of the girls, they are both doing well. We are all suffering from a little cabin fever in the late afternoons since we are used to playing outside for hours at a time, but we are adjusting and trying to keep ourselves busy. I have been busy with one commitment after another. It seems I do a lot and nothing at the same time. Henry and I are taking a cruise (leaving the girls at home) in early January so I'm looking forward to a little R&R.

We hope your holiday season is filled with joy and peace.

October 2007 -

October is here, but Northern Va has been unseasonably warm. Natalie's preschool had their first field trip the first Thursday in October (to the pumpkin farm) and it was 85 degrees! The kids didn't seem to notice and we played hard all day. It was great to be back in a farm atmosphere - we haven't been able to get out to Bluemont since Natalie started school. The girls liked the hay ride, the slides and the apple cider. Even Ainsley liked riding down the big slide on mommy's lap.

Our house continues to sit on the market. We are just waiting for the right buyer.... Meanwhile, we still enjoy playing outside with the neighbor kids and are satisfied to be here for the time being.

Henry leaves for China later this month so we are busy filing for a visa and getting the last minute details ready. He has been busy with work and his basketball league, but still manages to find time for playing with his girls. The other day Henry came home while I was changing Ainsley's diaper and she couldn't wait to get up to see her 'da.' As soon as I said "all done" she hopped up and went trotting into the room where he had settled all the while saying "da, da." She greeted him with a big hug and kiss.

I am taking a sewing class this month. I'd love to know how to make my own curtains - my mother will be happy to be off the hook for making window treatments for my new house. Last week I complete a pillow and I must say I was proud of my accomplishment. I've never made anything on a sewing machine before. :)

We'd love to hear how your family is doing. Take some time to stop by our visitor's log or look at my every-once-and-awhile blog under 'musings' to the right. Unfortunately my computer is on the blink so I wasn't able to upload pictures this month. Hopefully this will be resolved for November's update.

September 2007 -

Although summer isn't officially over, it sure feels like it since everyone is back to school and the pools are closing. August was a blip on my screen. I hardly knew it was Labor Day and then it was over. We had so much going on this month, I hardly had time to take a breath.

My sister, Johanna, gave birth to her fifth child (a little girl named Abigail Grace) on August 13. I was able to go up and take of her kids for a few days while she was in the hospital. Her youngest is two months older than Ainsley and I'm telling you, twin one-year olds will keep you busy (and thin). It was a great time though - her kids are great and I was glad to be able to help out. Abigail is darling and Natalie will sometimes talk about 'little Gail' and playing with Kennef (Kenneth). She loves her cousins and enjoyed our visit as well.

A friend of mine who moved away a couple years ago dashed through town on her way to Richmond mid-month. It was a great reminder that with true friends you really pick up where you left off - no getting to know one another again or awkward silence. It felt as if she had never gone and I was sad to see her get into her car knowing it would be some time before I would see her again.

The girls and I kept up our routine of getting to the farm once a week and playing with the neighbors next door. Henry joined another basketball league so we have more weekend games to look forward to. Natalie loves seeing daddy play basketball and I find I am enjoying being his cheerleader too.

Looking ahead, fall and winter hold more important dates on the calendar - two family weddings are on the horizon as are trips to two different continents (Henry to Asia, both of us to South America). It never fails that our calendar gets filled with family and friends - we wouldn't have it any other way.

August 2007 -

Henry and I just had a most fabulous weekend. My mother-in-law took the kids for the weekend while we spent the time reconnecting as adults. We almost didn't know what to do with ourselves since we didn't have concrete plans. It was a toss up between going into DC, much like we used to before kids; or heading down to Charlottesville, VA for the weekend. We ended up doing neither one!

Friday night is our small group night, which we thoroughly enjoy, so we decided to go ahead and go to that. After a good time with friends, we headed to the movies to watch the opening of "Bourne Ultimatum." In case you don't know, I have a huge crush on Jason Bourne and couldn't wait for the film to debut. I won't give away any of the plot, but to be honest, although I enjoyed the movie, I thought the first two were better.

Because we went to the late showing of the movie, we ended up getting to bed later than usual and that meant sleeping in a bit. To go to Charlottesville, we had planned to get up and leave by 8:30. We were still sitting around at 11 a.m. so decided to head over to Mount Vernon instead. Neither Henry or I had been there and we know the kids won't be old enough to enjoy it for some time still. On the way, we stopped in Old Town Alexandria for lunch and found a wonderful place called Farrah Olivia. The chef was born in Africa and has cooked in America for quite awhile so his cuisine is creative mix of the two cultures. We absolutely enjoyed everything we ate. To give you an idea of the creative menu, Henry had Tarragon Honeydew lemonade, and I had Ginger Canteloupe lemonade. Both were surprisingly fresh and delicious. I highly recommend eating there if you're ever in Old Town.

We picked up the girls today and were eating in the restaurant when Natalie decided she needed to go to the bathroom. While in there, she asked me, "Where's that man coming from?" I explained the music was coming from the circle in the ceiling. She said, "He's stuck?" That was followed by a very watered down, and probably misunderstood, explanation of a radio station.

Our townhouse is still on the market, but we aren't stressed about it selling. We know that the right buyer will come at the right time. My uncle received some bad medical news so we are praying for strength and wisdom at this moment. Other than that, July came and went without much of an impact. The girls continue to grow and amaze us and Henry continues working hard at his client in Herndon. Check out the girls' pages for some antedotes.

June/July 2007 -

Wow! It seems we are in a competition with ourselves on how busy we can be. I long for days when the girls are a bit older, we are more settled, and we have time to enjoy sitting on the porch with a cup o'tea...does that ever happen? Sometimes I feel we are too busy, but I also remind myself that idle hands get into trouble more easily and time wasted can never be regained.

The biggest news of the past two months - and what has kept me from the computer - is that we were able to purchase a lot in Great Falls at the end of May. We knew at the beginning of May it would come up for auction toward the end of the month. I told a few people about it, but mentioned to my friend it was much like the beginning of a pregnancy when you are afraid to tell people in case you miscarriage. When we did end up having the highest bid, Henry and I were in shock and had to move fast to get things in order. First things first, we settle on the lot this Friday.

Secondly, we put our house on the market as of Sunday, June 24, but of course, have been busy the last few weeks painting, powerwashing, etc. to get the house in listing shape. We will see how it goes....there was a lot of traffic at yesterday's open house and I already had one call this morning for a showing for today.

Most people want to know a few things when they hear we got a lot so I will answer the most FAQs. We plan to build on the lot and hopefully be in our new house in approximately three years. In the interim, we are exploring the possibility of either fixing up the house that is there to livable standards, or renting in the Reston area. Stay tuned to see how our housing situation ends up.

On another note, Henry's basketball league team won the championship game last week. It was a nail-biter, but they pulled in out in the end. Natalie was jumping up and down for daddy and cheering her little heart out (and so was mommy). Toward the end of the game, Henry was on the foul line and made his first shot. Natalie turned to my friend and said, "Daddy will do it again." Sure enough, he did. :)

The girls and I are having a fun summer. I am trying to get them outside every afternoon, either to the park or the pool. If we can't make it our of the neighborhood, we ride bikes and draw with chalk in the driveway with the neighbors. Natalie is enjoying her friends next door and will be sad to leave them when the time comes.

May 2007 -

William Thomas Ennis, 86, of Killdeer Lane, Grantsville, MD, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, April 28, 2007. Born Nov. 24,1920 in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of the late William Nelson and Gertrude Marie (McCormick) Ennis. Mr. Ennis is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jo (Waits) Ennis; three sones; as well as 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; his sister, Dorothy Harris of Plainview, NY, his brother Robert and wife Jean of Stone Mountain, GA, and many other friends and family members.

Bill was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII serving as a pilot of a B-17, flying missions over Europe during WWII, and was a member of the 92nd Bombardment Group Association. Being an ordained Baptist minister, he held a Bachelor of Theology degree from Orthodox Baptist Institue, Ardmore, OK, attended NYU, Kansas State Univ., and 3 years of Hebrew Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Bill served as pastor of two Baptist churches in Texas and had a radio ministry in Houston, TX and also in Berkley Springs, WV. He served 29.5 years as a missionary with Chosen People Ministries and was director of Camping Ministires for 12 years and Branch Director for Long Island, NY and later Houston, TX. Bill was a member of Welsh Baptist Church, Frostburg, MD.

Bill loved the Lord and studying the Bible. He also enjoyed oil painting, spending time with his family, friends, and cat Koko, and was an avid rock hunter. We will miss him, but we do not mourn as those who have no hope.

Although my grandfather's funeral was difficult, it was neat to see how many lives he touched and hear how they experienced him in life. Especially touching was the military service conducted at the internment. There's something spine-tingling about hearing a soldier say, "On behalf of the President of the United States and the collective armed services, we present to you this flag under which your husband fought so valiantly." I remember interviewing my grandfather on several occassions about his tour during WWII in the European Theater. His stories are amazing, but more amazing is the fact that he returned uninjured after 31 successful raids. The survival rate for WWII pilots was 30%. Raised Catholic, he accepted Christ as his savior in pilot's training during the war. He was shipped off a short time later and spent much of his free time reading the scriptures. He would write his new bride (my grandmother) for insight into what he was reading. It was during these first readings, he was impressed to minister to the Jewish people; exclaiming that Christ came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles as written in the book of Acts. It strikes me as ironic that he risked his life to save the physical lives of so many Jews interred in death camps and then returned to America to spend the rest of his life trying to free them spiritually. I learned much from him and treasure the time I had with him.

April was a busy month and May is shaping up to be full as well. Henry and I joined a small group that meets once a week in the home of a friend. Kids are left at home so it's only big-people talk - yeah!! Henry is used to talking only to adults, but for me, it's nice to get out and enjoy having a conversation with someone who talks in proper sentences with big words. I told Henry I think my brain is turning to mush due to inactivity. When I watch t.v. or a movie, many times I can't follow/understand what's being said because the people talk so fast.

On that note, I signed up for a cake decorating class this month and look forward to becoming a master at making birthday cakes. I also am hosting a monthly picture party at my house where other mom's can come and work on their photo albums or scrapbooks. I am having a harder time keeping up with Ainsley's baby book and hope this helps keep me on track.

Henry is enjoying time on the court these days as he joined another basketball league out in Ashburn. He and a friend are on the same team so they spend hours talking strategy and match-ups.

The girls are ever-growing and cute as ever. They play together nicely, err, well, mostly. Natalie gets frustrated when Ainsley messes up what she is doing, but when she chooses to, she plays well with her little sister. This morning, Ainsley was crying while I was in the shower and Natalie said, "ahhh, what's wrong with Ainsley?" She tried singing, playing peek-a-boo, etc., but Ainsley didn't want the distraction. Natalie is always concerned when Ainsley is upset and does her best to be a good big sister. For individual updates, check out the girls' links on the right.

April 2007 -

Today was the start of the season at Great Country Farms. Some friends of ours (the Goetzes) introduced us to the farm by talking about it this winter and we are excited to check it out this season. It is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, meaning you buy a membership at the beginning of the year and they deliver (or you can pick up) produce once a week. Additionally, you can pick additional crops, play on their playground, and pet/feed the animals. SO, I convinced Henry to buy a membership and hope to get the girls out there on a regular basis.

We were not at all disappointed by our day. Today was their season opener - a Marshmellow Harvest and Easter Egg Hunt. We arrived mid-morning and didn't get home until dinner time. Natalie ran all day between the activities, playing with the Goetz kids - Liam, Katherine, Maggie, and Rebecca. Noah - only 2 weeks - isn't old enough to play yet. Looks like the first crop we can go pick is Asparagus in mid-May. Yum!! Deliveries start the end of May. We can't wait.

The Easter egg hunt was a great way to end a busy month. Henry had to work a lot of overtime in Feb. and through the last few weeks. A day all to ourselves was much needed and appreciated. His schedule is slowing down to 'normal' hours now and we are grateful. He joined an area basketball league and is bemoaning how out of shape he has become since his college days. I still think he's the best player out there, but I might be a bit biased.

The girls and I took a short trip to Hagerstown last week to visit Marmi's (Henry's mom) and surprise Grandma (my mom) with a bedroom makeover. Several of my siblings and I decided to do a head-to-toe makeover on my mom's room while whe was visiting my sister Amy in Florida. She had no idea we were doing it and it was a little nerve wracking sticking paint on the walls without knowing if she approved of the color. However, it all turned out well and she absolutely loved it.

Her visit to Florida was timed perfectly as Amy went into labor on Tuesday, the day my mom arrived, and had her second son on Weds, Mar. 21. Kael Kekoa Asher Plumlee. He was 8 lbs, 4 oz and 20 inches long. His name means "mighty warrior who courageously battles for joy." I haven't met him yet, but he looks very cute in the pictures.

I am doing well with my scripture reading although I did not complete the Bible in 90 days. At my current pace, I'm set to finish within 95 days. That's ok with me...I had to take the week off when I went up to Hagerstown. I found the exercise fascinating in seeing broad themes throughout the Bible and am curious to go back and do some in-depth study on several topics. I highly encourage trying this once in your life - just know you have to really make it a priority every day in order to complete it.

To close, I'd like to say how thankful I am we are all relatively healthy. I know it doesn't have to stay this way. This week, a coworker of Henry's had a brain hemmorage (while at work) and was medivaced to the hospital. He is still in a coma at print time. He is 40 yrs. old or younger with two small children. Needless to say, it is a stark reminder of how fleeting life is. We hope this month finds you and your family well. We look forward to hearing from or seeing each of you soon.

Happy Easter!!

March 2007 -

I decided since I never got around to a January/February update, I would go ahead and be early for March! Adjusting to life with two means that projects (such as loveabean.com) get put on the bottom of the list. I am still trying to figure out how to fit my personality into not having time to make a 'to do' list, let alone get anything accomplished that should appear on the list. I am still trying to keep up with reading the Bible in 90 days so that takes a lot of the free time I would have for other things. I have been listening to the audio version lately to keep up, but was able to read it for the first time in quite a few weeks the other day and it was like a healing balm to my soul. There is just something about reading God's word that comforts a weary soul. And, if you have small children, you know what I am talking about!

On that note, Henry wisked me away to Miami for President's Day weekend, leaving the girls behind with Marmi and Pop, Aunt Tiffany, Sarah and Lexi. It was the first time I have been away from Natalie in over a year and the first time without Ainsley since her birth seven months ago. I was a little teary-eyed at our departure, but soon calmed my spirit and was able to be greatful for the time away. Henry and I enjoyed our little romp to the south - although they had a cold front the first two days we were there. We went to the Boat/Yacht show and a local art festival. Unfortunately, Ainsley got a stomach virus while we were gone and we left some of the germs behind for Aunt Sarah and Lexi to contend with. Sorry guys. :(

Both Henry and I have been overly busy these last two months and I'm feeling a bit disconnected with my world. So, if we haven't talked to you in awhile - yes, we are still alive, AND we'd love to hear from you in the visitor's log or via email.

January 2007 -

November and December were filled with holiday preparations and celebrations. It was great to catch up with friends and family we haven't seen and those we saw the week before! We're always up for a party. :)

Natalie LOVED Christmas this year. With four different present occassions, she loved all the presents and attention. She would open each gift and then want to play with it for awhile before opening another gift. It was neat to see her enthusiasm each time she opened a gift. Her largest present was a play kitchen that she has played with every day since daddy put it together for her. She flips eggs, washes dishes, and rearranges her cabinets often.

Ainsley is a typical 5-month old. She spent her first Christmas lying on the floor playing with the wrapping paper. She was oblivious to the party, but seemed to have fun anyway. The best part for her was all the attention she got - being the second child, it was good for her to be the center of attention for so many people.

The new year is shaping up well. Henry continues to work at a client site in Herndon making his commute and easy 15 minutes. He signed up for a basketball league and is enjoying getting on the court. I am reading through the Bible in 90 days with my book club and try to get out of the house for girls' night every so often.

November 2006 -

Our October was very full with several birthday celebrations and weekend trips. We celebrated Natalie's two-year birthday on Oct. 24. She was sooo excited. The evening before, we tried to explain what a birthday was and I told her when the sun woke up it would be her birthday. The first thing she said to me the next morning as she pointed outside to the still dark sky was, "Dark. Birthday" I told her, yes it was her birthday, but it was way too early to get up.

We also celebrated Henry's 29th birthday on Oct. 31. Unfortunately for him, the evening was dedicated to taking the girls trick-or-treating followed by a very long conference call for him. However, he did take the day off Monday to go golfing with a friend and the weather couldn't have been better. It was nice he had the chance to take a non-weekend day to get away from it all and relax.

Trick-or-treating was incredibly fun this year. Last year, Natalie dressed up as a flower and we simply participated in the neighborhood costume parade. This year, we decided to try a few houses to see if she would like it (and also to kill some time before bedtime). Natalie loved going up to the houses and getting "treats". She would often wait to see if they would give her more than one - and of course, who could resist slipping the little cow a second. By the end of the evening, she was dragging a very heavy, full bag of candy. I asked her several times if she wanted help with it, but she pulled it back every time and said, "no, Nannie carry it." She ran out of steam with about a quarter of the neighborhood to go and would walk up to the door, come back, and say, "mommy carry Nannie." We ask her if she was ready to go home and she replied, "no, Nannie more treats." I'd say she caught on. :) For those of you interested in pictures, both the cow and the pea pod can be spotted in the Picture Gallery.

I started a new mom's group, actually two, in October. I plugged into our church's once-a-month mom's connection (a morning of fellowship) and the once-a-month mom's book club (also during the day). I really enjoyed both and look forward to involving myself further in each. Our book club is dedicated to reading through the Bible in 90 days starting January 1. It takes approximately 1 hour a day and I've heard it is easier to stick with it if done in a group. I'm really excited to accomplish this - I'm actually having a hard time not starting early. If anyone is interested in joining us, let me know and I could post the schedule and we can use our Visitors Log as a comment area of encouragement.

Overall the weather was very good this month and we took two of the weekends to head downtown. The first trip was to the zoo - which the girls loved; and the second was to the Capitol/Mall area. Natalie enjoyed both trips a tad more than Ainsley who is still at the stage where she sleeps through many activities. She did however wake up for about an hour of so both times.

For more updates on the girls, click on their individual links.

October 2006 -

Fall is here. The air is getting crisp and the leaves are starting to change colors. I love this time of year. I start craving apple pie and soup, and look forward to carving pumpkins in a few weeks. Natalie didn't understand Halloween last year - and I highly doubt she will this year, but I still think it will be fun to dress the girls in costumes and take them on the neighborhood Halloween parade. Last year, Natalie was a flower. I haven't bought Natalie's costume yet, but Ainsley will be a duckling (if she doesn't grow out of it).

Henry is back on the East Coast full-time - yeah! He started with the new client two weeks ago and has been working hard to come up to speed there. The girls and I love having him home and are taking advantage of cuddling in bed with him in the mornings.

This past weekend, we went to the National Zoo. Ainsley slept through most of it, but Natalie loved seeing all the animals, especially the zebra, pandas, elephants, hippo, and giraffe. She is at the age where she is still in awe of anything that big and it's fun as the parent to see her excitement when her eyes finally lock in on the animal.

Don't forget to drop us a line in the Visitor Log or shoot us an email to let us know how your family is doing.

September 2006 -

Our little family is getting used to having a new member. The girls and I have our daily routine, depending on what needs to get done. The grocery store is still a challenge - they just don't make carts for more than one kid, so I go for limited items as needed. Natalie goes back and forth between being loving and rough with Ainsley. I've noticed the more attention she wants, the more rough she is. But, on the other hand, she loves to play with her too. Today, she said, "mommy move it." "Move it where," I said. "There," she said and pointed toward the couch. "You want the baby at the couch?" "Yeah," she said. She wanted me to move the baby over to the couch so she could line her play food on the couch while feeding each piece individually to Ainsley. The saddest part is it was close to Ainsely's lunch time so she was sucking each piece as if it would satisfy her hunger pains. I finally had to end the game and give Ainsley her real lunch because she was getting so upset when Natalie would remove the play food.

Henry is still in California, but will be home this weekend for good. I feel like I've been saying that for a month - oh yeah, I have! His time on the project was extended by several weeks, but he starts a new project next Monday in Herndon, so I'm hoping this time, we're right that he's home for good.

We decided not to wait until January to make our New Year's resolutions. We began a workout regimen starting Sept. 1 and are holding each other accountable to working out three times a week. My original goal was to wake up at 6 a.m. and workout/shower before Natalie wakes up at 7 a.m. However, I'm finding it hard to do so with Ainsley still waking up in the night. Instead, I've been taking the girls with me around the block, which all of us are finding enjoyable. In fact, I think once Ainsley is sleeping through the night, I will continue walking with the girls. Natalie, always the politician, loves to wave to the numerous walkers/runners, cars passing by, and my favorite --everyone on the city buses. It makes me smile when I see those she is waving at smile and often return the wave.

While writing this, I'm listening to a 9/11 tribute and one of the civilian heros just said of the man he saved, "Your friends are the ones you have experiences with." We agree and feel very blessed to have good friends. On Labor Day, we spent the afternoon eating and playing with several other couples and their toddlers at a nearby park. Being in California for an extended time, we realized that home is not a place, but where your family and friends are. We are excited to be back in our home church and with our peeps!

August 2006 -

Ainsley Ruth Marquiss arrived on July 24 (one day ahead of schedule) at 5:38 p.m. She weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and measured 22 inches. Her entry into the world was a bit more traumatic than her older sister’s, as she was face up in the birth canal instead of sideways, so it took her much longer to come out and caused Leighann to develop a uterine infection giving both mommy and baby a high temperature. Due to this development, the doctor decided suction was the best option, and luckily that worked or a c-section would’ve been necessary.

Natalie loves her little sister to death. She has not displayed any signs of jealousy toward Ainsely and constantly wants to hold her, kiss her, or change her diaper. She has, however, shown signs of insecurity with mom and dad, not sure where her place in the family is. Leighann was unable to move around much after the homecoming due to a bruised tailbone, so Natalie felt especially displaced. As Leighann’s condition improved, she was able to take over more of Natalie's care and it seemed to help things tremendously. Things are running more smoothly and now we are trying to teach Ainsley to put herself to sleep.

Henry is traveling back and forth to California for the next few weeks while the project at SVB is transitioned to a new Project Manager. By the end of August, we should be back to “normal” and can get into the swing of our new family life.

Following are some pictures for your enjoyment. The rest of the pictures are under the Photo Gallery link.

Pre-epidural

Post-epidural

Natalie – week one Ainsley – week one

July 2006 -

Home at last! Plans changed last minute in California and Henry headed out to India (yes, the country) two days before our scheduled departure from the west coast. Natalie and I made the trek alone, with much needed help from new California friends and old Virginia ones. I was able to relax - not pick up a thing - except my carry ons, and overall the flight wasn't too bad. I told Henry it pays to be 8.5 months pregnant when flying since strangers come out of the woodwork to help.

Henry's last minute flight to India came as a shock to us all, but was necessary to get the job done. With me being four weeks out from my due date, it was perfect timing as he was able to arrive on the east coast three weeks ahead of d-day. He was in India for 9 days, plus some travel time, and enjoyed seeing a new culture and visiting interesting places (although most of his time was spent inside an office building). He was able to ride a camel and elephant while there.

Natalie and I are glad to have him back. Her memory is improving and she talked often of "daddy, plane" and would ask if we could call him on the phone. Her little face was priceless when we picked him up at the airport. She nearly jumped out of her 5-point harness for joy!

Baby Q is officially due on Tuesday, July 25 - only a few days away. Next update will definitely contain baby news so stayed tuned. We've narrowed the name down to three and are pretty sure on "the one." Henry always says it's a game day decision, so we aren't telling anyone what it is for now. Don't worry though - she'll be here soon enough and you can all stop wondering.

Don't forget to check in on Natalie's Bean Sprouts page and drop us a line in the visitor log.

June 2006 -

I can't believe we've been in California for two months already. Henry is flying with Natalie and I home on June 30. We are still enjoying the perfect weather, but I'm anxious to be home getting the house ready for baby q. We are still searching for a name - a little bit more desperately now that I only have 7 weeks to my due date. Both Henry and I are getting excited to have another little girl running around. It's getting more real as my waistline grows to the size of the Titanic and we can see her move externally now.

We've slowed a bit on the sight-seeing. We visited Alcatraz at the beginning of the month, but that looks to be our last big trip. Last weekend, we visited Bonfonte Gardens in Gilroy. It is an amusement park designed especially for children under 10. Natalie enjoyed the rides and didn't want to leave. We plan to go back again this weekend.

Natalie and I met some kids her age out here and are having fun meeting them at the pool for playdates. One of them had to loan us a baby gate since Natalie learned how to crawl out of her pack n play. We're in the process of retraning her to go to sleep nicely at night and she is progressing well. With her new sense of freedom, it is difficult to get her excited to go to sleep. However, I am confident we will have her all ready for a big girl bed once we are back in Virginia.

That's all for now. We are looking forward to being home with friends and family soon. Love to all.

May 2006 - April was a busy and exciting month for us. Henry started a job for a new company based in Tysons Corner, Va and his first assignment is to set up a client account in Santa Clara, CA. Because the set up will take up to 3 months, we decided it was better to relocate temporarily than have him commute back and forth each week. We were able to get a 2 bedroom apt. five minutes from his office and enjoy the pace of life here.

Natalie loves California - especially the park and the pool which we try to go to every day. She has a limited toy selection here so going to the park allows her to run around and gets us out in the nice weather. Luckily, she has her father's skin.... she is tanner than I am even with the use of sunscreen!

My doctor out here is saying I can stay up until my 37th week - when the airlines will refuse to let me board. I am planning on returning before then - probably sometime the last week of June, which is my 35th week. As of the beginning of May, I am 28 wks pregnant - time sure does fly the second time around.

We are trying to get out most weekends so check out the Gulliver's Travel section to see what we've been up to and the Picture Gallery to see corresponding pics.

Oh, and drop us a line in the Visitor Log so we know what you've been up to. :0