18w1d

My little sweet potato is plumping up! 18w1d vs Isaac at 18w4d.


My goal is to make 20w in non maternity clothing . . . I think I can make it.


I'm usually not one for graphic t's, but I was a sucker for this shirt.

[I flipped it so you can read it.]

From my weekly email: Head to rump, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long, about the length of a bell pepper, and weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, although he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

How far along?: 18w1d
How big is baby?: The size of a sweet potato, 5 1/2 inches.
Weight gain/loss?: All bets are off, Tony thinks the scale is broken. I feel huge.
Stretch marks?: None, thankfully.
Maternity clothes?: I've been trying to wear my maternity jeans, but they're just too big.
Sleep?: The dreams have certainly been interesting, but Isaac has been the main culprit for bad sleep.
Food cravings?: I really want Pad Thai. Now.
Gender?: Still unknown, counting down to February 15th. 15 days!
Movement?: A little stronger every day.
Belly button?: Aside from the damage inflicted by Isaac, unchanged.
What are you looking forward to this week?: The end of the week.

Notables:
Tony felt the baby move for the first time yesterday morning! I just can't get over how much earlier we are feeling Baby Love in comparison to Isaac! It was just such a sweet moment. All three of us were in bed and Baby Love was just bopping around, I placed my hand on my uterus and felt a ping, so I quickly grabbed Tony's hand and for a few minutes we both got to feel the little one move.

I'm on day four of heartburn. There's no denying that it's here to stay for awhile. Soon I will be the pregnant lady with Tums for the office, vehicle, home and purse, just like I was before!

Only 15 days until the anatomy scan! I'm trying to come up with some unique ideas to share the sex and can't wait until I finally have the chance!

MishMash

- I gave Isaac both frozen coconut in a bag to chew on and ice cream tonight because Oragel and Tylenol just can't seem to touch his teething. Thankfully the bottom two incisors have cut, and I can't see the top ones well enough. I know the 2 year molars are just around the corner though.

- My Grandpa was taken by ambulance to the hospital tonight. They thought he was having a heart attack, but decided it was just that his oxygen level was low. He was admitted. Prayers are certainly welcomed.

- I'm second shooting for a different photog tomorrow, our friend from church. I'm really excited, but also nervous. It's like a working job interview. On Sunday I have an engagement session, so lots of photography work this weekend!

- Tony drove all the way down to a SuperTarget on the other side of town for me because Target guest relations told us that they had Grapefruit La Croix water. I was so happy with his effort, I honestly didn't care that he came home empty handed, except for major annoyance with Target.

Dear Isaac,

You are such a little boy now. Wherever did my small baby go? This picture had me in absolute tears the other night, trying to smother you in my arms. I knew it'd been too long since I'd taken your picture, I just didn't realize how long. It seems within a month you lost your infancy.


Please don't ever stop being you.


I'll love you for forever.


Regardless.


No, really forever. There's no shaking me.


Clearly this made you happy.


Thank you for making me a better person.


You silly boy. Keep on growing, smart and strong.

What a weekend.

Starting a week ago, I knew I was stuffed up. For those who've experienced pregnancy, there is a common pregnancy symptom called rhinitis of pregnancy. This is basically just an unexplained stuffy nose during pregnancy, awesome right? It's the third google drop down when you start spelling rhinitis. All that said, from Wednesday to Thursday I wasn't sure if I had a cold or just a pregnancy symptom. Friday morning, it was very apparent.

I definitely had a cold.

My nose was so congested. Forget about inadvertently brushing my tongue resulting in dry heaving just trying to breathe and swallow resulted in the same! By the time I go to work after the midwife appointment, I was also almost without a voice. It was not pretty folks.

Saturday wasn't much better and I almost turned down Tony's pancakes. As in, I had a bowl out for cereal because my tastebuds were basically useless . . . but they were pancakes! I had to have some.


Tony had several hockey games to referee on Saturday, so Isaac and I just hung out. When Tony is gone Isaac will usually talk to me about where Daddu went. Saturday was no different and when I told Isaac Tony was at hockey, he of course wanted to play hockey.

I wasn't prepared for his authenticity! Check out where he put his cuppy! Just like a goalie would.

On Friday night I posted on facebook "I just want a rootbeer float and the tastebuds back to enjoy it. Oh and my voice would be pretty sweet too." There were a few comments between myself and another hockey mama widow, but not much else. Tony knew of my want for a rootbeer float yet came home empty handed both Friday night and Saturday afternoon. I was disappointed, because by my saying I wanted a rootbeer float was the closest I was going to get to demanding a pregnancy want. It was the most direct I've been regarding hoping Tony would go get something for me, unless you count gyros and sushi, which he also turned a deaf ear to.

Well wouldn't you know that after my fantastic meal with Abby at 3 Squares, I came home to a bag hanging from the door handle outside my house. A Cub bag. It's contents Mug Rootbeer and vanilla ice cream! In quick fashion I whipped this beauty up, as I tried to figure out the mystery supplier!


My family usually shops at Cub, so I called my brother to find out if my Mom had gone grocery shopping that night. His response, "No, but I did!" I mean serious, how cute is that? Can you believe my brother is single? And for you out of state ladies suggesting your sisters, I'm sorry but no dice. My brother needs to stay in the state of Minnesota lol!

17w2d

Well, only 21 more days until the anatomy scan! I promise I'm not randomly telling people this countdown, but everyday I'm fully aware of it. :)

Here's Baby Love at 17w2d vs Isaac at similar.

[Yes, these are maternity jeans. No, they still don't fit, but I don't care. :)]

And clothed.

[Two year old F21 tops.]

From my weekly email:
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now, and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

How far along?: 17w2d
How big is baby?: The size of an onion, 5 inches.
Weight gain/loss?: I went to a brunch buffet on Sunday, so 4.4.
Stretch marks?: None, thankfully.
Maternity clothes?: I've been trying to wear my maternity jeans, but they're just too big.
Sleep?: I'll post more tomorrow about the weekend, but I've been really sick the last few days. Coughing has been keeping me awake at night.
Food cravings?: Rootbeer float!
Gender?: Still unknown, counting down to February 15th.
Movement?: Definitely feeling the baby daily. I love it.
Belly button?: Aside from the damage inflicted by Isaac, unchanged.
What are you looking forward to this week?: The end of the week.

Appointment recap from last Friday:
Well Tony, Isaac and I made it out the door at 7:30, you know just 40 minutes after I wanted to be leaving! We had wanted to get Isaac to my Mom's so that he didn't have to crash the appointment, but it became very apparent that Tony and I just weren't going to accomplish that.

We made it to the appointment just 5 minutes late, were quickly ushered in and the scale confirmed the 3lbs that I'd been seeing at home, before the brunch buffet. So my weight has been holding steady. Blood pressure was "great," but neither the nurse or my midwife shared what it was and I forgot to ask.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I love my midwife. She is just an absolute doll and I'm sure she does it to everyone, but she makes me feel like I'm having the perfect pregnancy. She kept telling me how beautiful I was and couldn't believe that I wasn't wearing maternity jeans. She even said, "Next time I see you, you won't be in your regular clothes!"

I ran a few questions past her and found out what hospital Baby Love would go to if a NICU were needed and what my options are for a pulse ox screening for Baby Love after 24 hours old for congenital heart defects [CHD]. I may speak further with our pediatrician about this too.

I also wanted to know her thoughts on a breech presentation. A lot of midwives are the only ones who will actually allow mothers to attempt breech deliveries, but because I'll still be delivering in a hospital, I wanted to know what my options were. Apparently because of my "proven pelvis" due to having a successful vaginal delivery with Isaac, if Baby Love were frank breech they would allow me to attempt birth instead of an automatic c/s. Love to hear this!

Finally, we got to hear Baby Love's heartbeat twice! It just never gets old. :) 156 bpm and a few kicks for good measure. [There's now a baby sex poll up too, because I know some of you just can't stop yourself from guessing off of the heartbeat! :)]

Thinking Ahead

Life has been very quiet lately. Tony and I haven't been socializing much, or really getting out of the house much, to be perfectly honest. Our big plans this past weekend were to go grocery shopping and that's about it. I was able to visit with my friend Lacey and take some sweet pictures of her youngest daughter Lylah on Saturday and Tony was able to get out of the house to referee a few [multiple games].

This weekend seems to shaping up quite differently, although that does of course mean a little more moolah will be spent. Tomorrow we get to kick start the day by visiting with our favorite midwife. I'm excited to run a few questions past her to hear her input, like:

- What NICU Baby Love would be transferred to in the event of an escalated situation? I know from the hospitals website that they have a Level II nursery, but just like the hospital I delivered Isaac at, they do not have a NICU.

- What her position would be regarding a breech birth? For any of my birthie mamas she is a CNM and I will be delivering at a hospital, so I'm anxious that I would still be recommended for a c-section.

- Whether or not a pulse oximetry screening will be available for Baby Love after the first day? This story is not for the faint of heart, but Cora's mama has done a lot through the internets to share her daughter's story and the need for additional heart tests that could diagnose a CHD [congenital heart defect].

We should also be able to hear Baby Love's heartbeat again! I will ride on that high until Feb 15th. Ahh! I can't wait until this time tomorrow. We don't have any plans for tomorrow evening, but I'm certainly okay with that! Tony has had so much hockey lately, it will be nice to just have dinner and watch a movie. A movie, I know, crazy. I've watched a movie a week for the past few! Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I am not a movie person, so Tony is just loving this change!

Saturday morning, I think I want to pack the family up and go to the Midtown Global Market, a la Erin. We'll see what Tony thinks. Tony has two games on Saturday, so he'll be missing out when Abby and I meet up for dinner! She told me I get to choose the restaurant. The obvious choice is Sawatdee . . . but I may change it up. Who knows, maybe I'll be adventurous. Then on Sunday we're going to reconvene our small group for a pizza dinner. That to me sounds like a stellar weekend!

Oh and maybe I'll take some pictures of my son. :( Stupid cold weather.

16w2d

Four months. Craziness people, just craziness. I love being able to say that I'm 4 months pregnant!

16w2d vs 16w4d with Isaac.


And clothed.

[Yay for Target clearance on the sweater and my favorite AE jeans]

From my weekly email:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

How far along?: 16w2d
How big is baby?: The size of an avocado. Which sounds just delicious right now by the way.
Weight gain/loss?: Just edged over 3lbs this morning, 3.4lbs.
Stretch marks?: None, thankfully.
Maternity clothes?: I've been trying to wear my maternity jeans, but they're just too big.
Sleep?: Crazy pregnancy dreams have been attacking, so I haven't been sleeping the best.
Food cravings?: Honestly not many cravings. There is food that sounds good, but I've always loved food so that's not really new.
Gender?: Still unknown, counting down to February 15th.
Movement?: Definitely feeling the baby daily. I love it.
Belly button?: Aside from the damage inflicted by Isaac, unchanged.
What do you miss?: I really miss playing soccer.
What are you looking forward to this week?: I can't wait for Friday! We have our 16w appointment at 8:00am! In addition to hearing the heartbeat I also have a few questions I'm looking forward to asking our midwife.

On guessing the sex of Baby Love Isaac has got to be so sick of this conversation, but for the past almost 4 months, it's gone something like this:

Me: Isaac are you going to have a sister or brother?

Isaac: Sister!

Me: Isaac is it going to be a girl or a boy?

Isaac: GIRL!

Lately, we've included names. I use my two favorite names and Isaac always says the girl one!

He's been so consistent, I think he's honestly starting to sway me to think Baby Love is a girl.

For what it's worth, we always change which order we say the options so that he isn't just saying the 2nd option said. :) Less than a month to go now until we get to see our Baby Love again and find out the sex to boot!

Mish Mash

- Tony and I can't keep up with how many words Isaac knows. The weekly newsletter for his age said that he's picking up 10 words a day! 10 a day! Isn't that crazy? Of course not all will be spoken, but he's stockpiling them away.

- We made White Chicken Chili last night and allowed it to cook throughout the night. There's nothing like waking up to the smell of dinner . . . at breakfast time. Even worse, I feel like I bathed in the smell. I really hope I can stomach eating it for lunch, because right now I'm starting to get queasy just smelling myself.

- I bought our first Baby Love related purchase today, since Cotton Babies was having a bumGenius Seconds Sale. We upgraded to the 4.0 with snaps and even with buying the liners the diapers came out to $14.50 a piece, or a savings of $3.50 a diaper. I went ahead and bought 6, with a goal of having 24 by the time baby arrives. We're well on our way to an updated stash!

- The financial hemorrhaging of my eating out almost everyday for lunch the last month of the first trimester has completing been stanched. I'm so thankful that we were in a position to handle it and that Tony was very understanding. He didn't get on my case at all, granted every once and awhile that meant he got a yummy naughty dinner for takeout, so I understand why he held his tongue. I'm trying to get back on the same schedule and diet I maintained when pregnant with Isaac, but want to be more aware of the use of artificial sweetners in, well, everything! I just can't seem to avoid them, but I'm going to do my best!

- Tony and I still haven't pursued purchasing a 2nd vehicle to replace my Dad's truck. The passenger side door handle still is broken, but we're making due. Both Tony and I wanted to rush into buying a vehicle, because let's face it our situation isn't the greatest, but I really felt the call to sit back. We've made some stupid decisions over the years that could have been avoided by the action of waiting, and I really want to be prayerful about the vehicle we do purchase.

Food Nazi

The food Nazi has returned. It may actually be incorrect to say returned, maybe she never left, but she is definitely in full force.

I am terribly aware of my food. I love indulging in a special treat, and it's not what you may assume. Oh no, it's generally not sweets. My special treats could be anything from a dill Havarti cheese, a steakhouse potato salad from the deli or a beautiful Pink Lady apple, just to name a few. Lord help the person, ie Tony, who consumes the last of my food without at least confirming my consent.

When I lived at home, they were my leftovers. If I made a meal, I wanted to be able to open the fridge and eat what remained. Let's be honest here, more often than not, it was macaroni and cheese. My brothers however, they didn't play by these rules. It was simply if there was food in the kitchen, including fridge, they ate it. No questions asked. I think this was the beginning of my food Nazish ways.

It continued in college. Some of my roommates placed the blame squarely on me for choosing to abstain from labeling my food, while they diligently sharpied everything with their names: Nadia, Kat, Cassie, Drea. My food was the food without a label and I quickly learned that without a name it was deemed communal food. What I never understood was their willingness to eat something they could easily deduce wasn't theirs, especially if all four of them were eating it [!], as they didn't purchase it. They always argued, how were they to know, it wasn't labeled! Weak sauce. Very weak.

And oh marriage. Marriage, so it continues. You would think Tony would know, with 4 years of marriage and one pregnancy under his belt, to not finish off any food that I may have eaten at one point and may wish to eat again, and yet it continues.

And so the food Nazi returns.

15w1d

My change day is Sunday, and while Tony did take a picture of our Baby Love's progress, well, I just wasn't a fan of them, so I took another work one today.


And clothed.

[This is one of my most favorite polyester shirts ever. I bought it a few years back at F21]

Not much to report on the home front this week. I've entered one of the most boring stretches of pregnancy, right between clearing the first tri and beginning to feel normal through finally seeing the little one again at the 20w anatomy scan.

How far along?: 15w1d
How big is baby?: The size of an orange! Just over 4 inches and weighing the size of a small apple.
Weight gain/loss?: Still hovering at 3lbs.
Stretch marks?: None, thankfully.
Maternity clothes?: I've been trying to wear my maternity jeans, but they're just too big.
Sleep?: Crazy pregnancy dreams have been attacking, so I haven't been sleeping the best.
Food cravings?: I rarely give into cravings, because honestly something different sounds good at any given moment.
Gender?: Still unknown, counting down to February 15th.
Movement?: I may be feeling flutters, which are just boggling my mind since I didn't feel Isaac until 23w.
Belly button?: Unaffected.
What do you miss?: Today, I miss a nice glass of wine with girlfriends.
What are you looking forward to this week?: I'm looking forward to the end of this week, since we have our 2nd appointment with the midwife next Friday! I can't wait to hear Baby Love's heartbeat again!

I'm sure you've noticed, I think I've decided to go with Baby Love. It was on my mind before I put the call out for suggestions and while I loved all of the suggestions, even though love deviates from the blog title, it just feels right.

Baby Love is busy moving amniotic fluid through it's nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop. The legs are growing longer than the arms now, and the little one can move all of its joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still fused shut, Baby Love can sense light.

I'm really debating taking Tuesday, February 15th off. The anatomy scan is scheduled for 8:00, so thankfully we won't have to wait the whole day away! With Isaac we also had an early appointment and then drove in to work. It'd be nice to spend the day as a family with the confirmation that Baby Love is doing well and knowing what sex we're preparing for. It would also be beneficial if we found out terrible news, but I'm still undecided if it's really worth it to take off.

I'm eating vegetables again! No seriously, I'm eating vegetables again and fruit too! It's fantastic.

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve was my 2nd day off of the week, not that I get to enjoy sleeping in anymore, but it was a great Friday none the less.

Tony and I had plans after he came home from reffing his 9th [?] game out of 13 for the week to pop a movie in, feast on a mini buffet of appetizers and switch over the ball drop, just like we did to ring in 2010. And we did do all of the above, plus an impromtu Black and White party at Aaron and Erik's.

My high school friends, oh my high school friends. Just be prepared when you're around me people, it will be documented.


Love this group shot!


Aaron and Missy, still crazy to me that they're together! Missy was my "little sister" when I was in 2nd grade and she Kindergarten. Aaron was the first person I met in high school, when he introduced himself as Bond, James Bond.


Steve needs a niece or nephew! He loves to spend time with Isaac!


We only stayed an hour and were back home by 9:30. I was really worried about being on the roads. Without fail, if I am on the road NYE, I end up calling in and following a suspected drunk driver until the police arrive. Add to that the fact that we'd had freezing rain and I was really concerned about our friends, let alone us being on the road. Amazingly there were less than 200 accidents and no fatalities NYE!

So, we returned home, popped in Miracle, nibbled at our snacks. I wrote this recap of 2010 and just minutes before 12:00 Isaac fell asleep on the floor. He has just been go-go-go, until he's out. So we were both really surprised by how quickly he was asleep by how active he had been right up until 11:56. Our little family snuggled up right before the ball dropped . . .


And I had my first kiss of the new year, with the only man I'd want!

Let's start it up - 14w3d

I've sat for quite a few minutes now without typing anything. This post just seems so surreal to begin. There's no time like the present though, so I ought to just start it up.

I am 14 weeks and 3 days pregnant, or as you'll see me shorthand 14w3d.


Tony hasn't taken a single bump picture yet with Baby Bless #2*, not like I've asked either, but it was his primary role with Isaac. I'd like the pictures to be somewhat consistent and not taken in the Wellness Room at work, but the blank wall we used before is now cluttered by a painting. Additionally, I got all hung up in wanting to wear the same outfit throughout, but I couldn't decide on what that should be! Finally, I'm showing much earlier than I did with Isaac. I'd venture I'm about 4-6 weeks further in showing than I was at this point with Isaac. Here are the 14w and 18w posts with Isaac for comparison.

I'm 3lbs up from my starting weight with Baby Bless #2, which was still 4lbs up from my starting weight with Isaac. Unlike my pregnancy with Isaac in which I was pretty freaked out by the scale, I know that I will gain weight this time. Just like before though, I will lose it. It's how it works. Also unlike my pregnancy with Isaac though, I wasn't active when I got pregnant with Baby Bless #2. In fact aside from a short stint with Insanity, I wasn't active after we lost Josiah. At all. Thanks to Biggest Loser's motivation last night though, I'm making small changes to improve my body perception and regain my healthy lifestyle for the remainder of Baby Bless #2's pregnancy. He deserves it.

No, I didn't slip. No, we don't know the sex yet though. Both Tony and I naturally find ourselves referring to the little one as a boy. At this point my symptoms have been majorly on track with those I experienced with Isaac, so I tend to find myself assuming Baby Bless #2 is a boy. Of course there is the factor that it is just our natural inclination to think boy due to Isaac, just as we always assume most pets are female as ours all are. All that said, yes, we will be finding out the sex again. I wouldn't say I had a hard time bonding with Isaac in utero, but I definitely think I would have a much harder go of it with Baby Bless #2 if I didn't know. The date is set as well, we will have our anatomy scan February 15th, bright and early at 8:00am. We are so hopeful to see a beautiful healthy baby! It's crazy to think that due to a follow up ultrasound to assess a subchronic hemorrhage when I was pregnant with Isaac at 13 1/2w, we had already been given the guess that Isaac was a boy at this point in my pregnancy!

Baby Bless #2 is now the size of a lemon. The little one is currently rocking out it's average of 3.4 inches and throwing it's weight of 1.5 ounces, but I haven't felt a thing. I didn't feel Isaac move for the first time until well past 20w, so I'm prepared to wait a while. I am also told that Baby Bless #2 is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth. I love to hear it.

Much like last time, we will not be sharing Baby Bless #2's name options. In fact, Tony won't even talk to me about names until after the anatomy scan at 20w. Trust me, I've tried. We're pretty set on a girl name, since there is only 1 1/2 name options. Yes, 1/2. It means there is a 2nd name, but Tony doesn't agree to it yet. For boys we have 3 top options, including separate middle names, but Tony doesn't want to whittle them down until we know what we're having. Can't blame the guy, but I guess I'm anxious. We've hit the slowest part of pregnancy, at least in my mind, when first tri has ended and I am unable to feel the baby move.

Continued prayers are always appreciated.

* Regarding Baby Bless #2, does anyone have solutions for this? I don't really want to call the baby number #2, but I can't come up with anything better. This doesn't really surprise me, as AJ was the one who came up with Baby Bless in the first place! Suggestions are appreciated!

Isaac's First Skate

We had originally planned to bring Isaac out for his first ice skate after opening presents Christmas day, before I even knew of the hockey stick, but Tony's Grandparent's Christmas breakfast derailed those plans. Instead, last Sunday morning, Tony and I woke up early, ate a quick breakfast and bundled Isaac up.

[Yes, those are socks with sandals. No matter what I say, Tony keeps wearing his Keens. Even in winter]

At 9:00 on a Sunday morning, we had our local rink to ourselves. I had to draw a few quick deep breaths as Tony skated around holding Isaac, without a helmet, but I trusted my husband.


Isaac loved being held, but Tony had other ideas . . .


I think it's safe to say that Tony has waited his entire life for this moment and began visualizing it as soon as we found out we were pregnant.


Isaac did not disappoint in reacting. He was enthralled by skating [or in his case standing while Daddu pushed him]


I just love this shot and all that it represents.


There is just no denying this smile.


My favorite shot of the day. Our last name is blurred on the base of the stick, which Tony also wrote his hockey number and a cross on the tape, just as he does to all of his hockey sticks.


It was time for some hockey then and Tony showed Isaac how to properly hold his stick.

[Isaac calls his stick a "hocket."

There is just something about this photo that makes me immensely happy. Somewhere between Tony's comment that this will be published when Isaac goes pro and my hearts desire to have it on my happy boy's high school graduation open house picture board, it just fills my heart.


And in my mind's eye, as we moved into the actual rink, I envisioned many trips by Tony and Isaac to our rink in the future.


Such a beautiful sight to be cherished by my heart.


Tony then put Isaac down to do some circles by himself.


Isaac thought it was great fun to watch his Dad skate, especially when Tony sprayed him with a hockey stop.

[You can see the truck pull up behind our car to re-ice, the day after Christmas, we have one well tended rink!]

After Tony told the driver that it was our first time taking our son out they told us they'd come back in 15 minutes. Tony then showed Isaac some stickhandling.


Isaac thought it was at least entertaining, the verdicts out of it was educational. ;)


I'm so glad that we were able to make it out last week before heading in for church. The weather has just not cooperated since alternating between rain and freezing cold temps. It is one of my most treasured memories of this winter.


Of course we know the probabilities of Isaac being a stellar hockey player are a long shot, let alone our hope that he plays and enjoys the game. If nothing else, we hope we ignited a love for the outdoors, even winter, and had an enjoyable time spent as a family.