Three Sick People = One Sick Family

We are one sick family! In this picture are Brad and December, holding up the medicines they are currently taking. Strangely enough, I have gone from being the sickest in the family to the most healthy.

Yesterday, when we were visiting Kelli and Craig, December threw up in the store we were shopping in. When we got her home, we took her temperature, and it was 104 degrees F (40 degrees Celsius). I called the on-call nurse at her doctor's office, and they told me to give her Tylenol and get a doctor's appointment for Monday. Meanwhile, Brad spent last night in the emergency room! His ear had been really bothering him, and since there weren't any urgent care centers open, he had to go to the ER and wait for hours to be seen. He has an ear infection, and while he was in the waiting room, his eardrum ruptured a bit. When he got home, it ruptured a bit more. So he's got to make a doctor's appointment for Monday, too. That means all three of us will be seeing the doctor tomorrow! Oh boy -- what a messed-up bunch we are right now!

Very Very Sick

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in quite a while. BUT lest you think that we have dropped off the face of the earth, I thought I'd do some updating! The reason why there have been no posts is because I have been very sick with this pregnancy!

About a week ago and before, I was feeling icky and tired, but last Sunday, I took a major turn for the worse. Since then, I have been really awful and throwing up alot. The nausea has been overwhelming, and the only time I don't feel nauseated is when I am asleep. Otherwise, it feels like I could run to the bathroom at any given moment and lose what little I have in my tummy. The very thought of food churns my stomach -- I have to look away from restaurant commercials on tv, and I can't open the fridge without gagging. It's quite ironic that when I don't eat, the nausea and trips to the bathroom increase, and yet at the same time, it's so difficult to even think about food that I can only eat a few bites at a time. This week alone I have lost nearly five pounds, and that can't continue! I go to the doctor on Monday, and we'll see what she has to say.

But I am encouraged, because that means the pregnancy is strong, and I have high levels of crazy hormones rushing through my body and making me so desperately sick. We would appreciate your prayers, though, for a healthy mom and a healthy baby. Thank you for praying for us already!

Today was the first day I felt better! Brad, December, and I went and visited Kelli and Craig (my sister and brother-in-law), who are currently visiting Las Vegas. We had such a fun day together, and it was wonderful to see them again. We did some sight-seeing and shopped and had lunch together. What fun!

December the Singer

December's newest favorite song is "Are you Sleeping, Brother John?" Here she is, singing it. She's remarkably good at it and can sing the entire song...but the tough part is getting her to sing it when the camera comes out. Here are the lyrics, in case you can't get them from her song:

Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping

Brother John, Brother John?

Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing

Ding ding dong, Ding ding dong

Baby Lions

Lately, December has been begging to go to the Wild Animal Park nearly every day. The last time we went, it was a sunny and hot day, so we decided that December should get some sunglasses (aka "baby gasses," according to December). She picked them out and thinks they're pretty neato!

Here's one of the baby lions born at the Animal Park. There is one dad lion, two moms, and six babies between the two of them. They are such fun to watch, and they make me want to snatch one up and take him home!

There's some kids' sprinklers at the park that December always wants to play in, and since this day was so incredibly hot, we let her play.

She didn't find these quite as enjoyable as she thought, though. Showers, in general, scare her (she thinks there's something freaky about falling water), and these little "showers" made her nervous, too. Despite that, I still think she had fun, though...

Cannonball

We've been going down the the pool more recently as the weather gets more and more warm. December is ALWAYS game to go down and swim with us...

To the Swimming Pool!

Here's December hanging out in the hot tub, her favorite place to be.

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite pictures of December

Brad and December sitting together

December is slowly growing more brave in getting her head deeper under water. This is about her current depth limit.

The joys of splashing!

One of the reasons she loves to go to the pool is because she enjoys scampering around the pool deck, exploring everything.

Going to the Ocean

Yesterday, we went to the ocean with some of our friends, three other seminary couples. We ALL wanted to go to the ocean because it's been so warm here lately (in the 90's Fahrenheit / 30's Celsius). But Della (Samuel's mom) and I really wanted to go there because we're both in the throes of morning sickness (or, more accurately, all-day sickness). Our babies are due only one day apart, which makes it kinda fun! Della said that going to the ocean always helped her sickness when she had been pregnant with Samuel, so we thought we'd give it a try!

Here's Christopher (Samuel's dad) playing in the sand with Samuel and December

A sailboat on the ocean

Ryan (one of Brad's seminary friends who also lives in our apartment complex) brought a kite, and he and Brad spent a looong time flying it! They had great fun.

Here is Jennifer (Ryan's pregnant wife) flying the kite, with December REALLY wanting to fly it, too!

Brad helping December fly the kite

I even got a chance to do it, too! I thoroughly enjoyed that.

Then December and I tried to touch the kite while Brad brought it very close to us.

We stayed at the beach all day and brought along a picnic supper. The fresh ocean air really did help both Della and I. This is at the end of our little excursion, where December is getting tired and wanted to lay on the towels.

We didn't end up leaving until 7:30pm, which is December's bedtime, so it wasn't too surprising that she was so tired!

Our precious little 'Cember.

Making Cookies

Last week, December helped me make cookies! She'd never done that before, and she really enjoyed herself. Here she's helping me grease the pan. She also dumped ingredients in the bowl and helped me stir.

She also tried to help me form the cookies, but ended up trying to eat the dough instead.

Cleaning up the counter afterward

...and even washing dishes! She was a BIG help to me, and we had fun!

December's Daily Activities

Here are some of the things December likes to do every day: She got some water-color paints from Aunt Deb while we were in Michigan, and she now LOVES to paint!

She also likes to eat with Daddy. This is one of the reasons Brad is such a great daddy...he doesn't mind getting silly with December and wearing one of her bibs when she asks him to.

December in a bucket, as always

...and December climbing into a box

Every day, she gets to see at least one of her friends. Here she is playing the piano with Noah

And playing with Samuel and Daddy!

A little while ago, Brad brought home some doughnuts from the seminary, and here December is checking them out with Brad

December getting cleaned up before bed. Usually she doesn't take a bath in the sink, but she had been to the beach earlier that day and her lower half was completely covered in sand! So she's soaking a bit.

December cuddling with Daddy before bedtime

More cuddles before bed

New Baby?

Here's the latest -- and most exciting -- video from December:









It's true! We're going to have a new baby! We are SUPER excited about it!



He/she is due to come on December 1. If you do the math, that means I am not very far along yet, almost 7 weeks. We wouldn't normally tell everyone this early on in the pregnancy, but after talking about it, Brad and I decided we wanted to tell you right away so that we could also ask for your prayers. They say that the first 12 weeks that the baby is alive are the most volitile, where it is very easy to lose the baby. We would really appreciate your prayers for a strong and healthy little one, and that we will be able to meet this baby in its due time. Thank you very much!

The Flower Fields

On Friday, December and I went to the Flower Fields with Naomi, Noah, and Noah's Grandma & Great-Grandma (who are visiting from England)

Here are the kids with Noah's Grandmas

The Flower Fields are located only a few minutes away from the ocean, and you can see the ocean as you walk along the rows of flowers.

They had a couple of cages with lots of different birds inside, and the chicken was BY FAR December's most favorite attraction. As soon as she saw it, she burst into song, "E-I-E-I-Oooo...had a farm...chicken...E-I-E-I-O!"

There were fields upon fields of these beautiful flowers (but I can't remember their name)

They had a Sweet-Pea Maze, where you wove among rows of tall Sweet-Peas all aranged into a maze. It was great fun, and it was the nicest-smelling maze I've ever been in!

December looking at the Sweet-Peas up close as she wanders through the maze

Sweet Pea

We let the kids lead the way through the maze. That was rather entertaining! It took us a while and we went to more than one dead-end, but they eventually found the way out!

Outside of the maze, looking down on it. You can see one lady's head peeking over the flowers, just to give you an idea of how tall the sweet-peas were!

The fields were absolutely stunning.

One of the workers gathering a boquet of flowers

They also had a greenhouse filled with all different types and colors of pointsettias

Something at the top of the greenhouse is fascinating December...I think it was a plane flying overhead that she was trying (in vain) to get a glimpse of

After the kids got tired of being strapped into their strollers, we let them out to play in the playground there.

December trying to open the door. I think Santa sits here during Christmas time

Naomi, looking at Noah inside the house

The fake telescope was December's favorite part of the playground...

Peeking through the window of the house